A court on Tuesday jailed Belarus government critic Siarhei Tsikhanouski for 18 years, state news agency Belta reported, at the conclusion of a trial conducted behind closed doors. Tsikhanouski's wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was a political novice at the time of his arrest, replaced him as an election candidate and claims to be the rightful winner of the vote.

The 43-year-old — in custody since May 2020 — was found guilty of organizing mass unrest and inciting social hatred. Tsikhanouski had planned to run against Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential elections in Belarus. However, he was arrested before the vote and jailed. While campaigning, Tsikhanouski coined a new insult for Lukashenko when he called him a "cockroach." The campaign slogan became "Stop the cockroach," and supporters waved slippers — sometimes used to kill the insects — at protests. Soon after announcing his presidential bid, the activist was detained and charged with violating public order.

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