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Belarus’s ex-presidential candidate gets political asylum in Britain

His wife Irina Khalip got a two-year suspended prison sentence
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MINSK, October 26 (Itar-Tass) — Britain has granted political asylum to Andrei Sannikov, the leader of the European Belarus civilian campaign and ex-presidential candidate, journalist Irina Khalip, who’s Sannikov’s wife, said on Friday.

“We have decided to refrain from further comments so far. It’s safer for our family at this point,” Khalip went on to say.

Andrei Sannikov and Irina Khalip were convicted on criminal charges of organizing mass disturbances in Minsk on December 19, 2010 in the aftermath of presidential elections in Belarus. Sannikov was sentenced to five years in prison in a medium security prison on charges of organizing mass riots. President Lukashenko pardoned him in April this year.

His wife Irina Khalip got a two-year suspended prison sentence. Irina Khalip is staying in Minsk. Under the court sentence, she has no right to leave the country.