Khadyka: “Lukashenka has himself chosen the leader of the opposition”

Professor Yury Khadyka is convinced: the situation that has developed around the former presidential candidates is not coincidental.

“This is a tactic of the authorities and is evidence of which candidate is the most dangerous for Lukashenka. Clearly, this is Andrei Sannikau. And there is no comparison between him and Rymasheuskii, for example. It is absolutely obvious that the punishments given by the courts have been carefully calculated. In this way, Lukashenka has made the selection of a leader for us.”

Of all those already convicted by the authorities for participating in the act of protest on 19 December 2010, the former presidential candidate, Andrei Sannikau, received the longest sentence. Compared with that, the sentences given to the ex-candidates Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu and Vitalii Rymasheuskii look much softer. As to the other two former candidates for the post of head of state – Zmitser Us and Nikolai Statkevich – they suddenly put off the announcement of the verdict.