Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatskyi, a long-time human rights activist in Belarus, risks up to 12 years in prison in a cash “smuggling” case, his NGO Vyasna said on Monday, as quoted by AFP and Agerpres.

Bilyatskyi, who has been in custody in Belarus since July 2021, appears in this case along with other arrested collaborators and the third in exile abroad, “Vyasna” reports.

“They face 7 to 12 years in prison,” the organization said in a statement. Bilyatskyi and his employees are accused of transiting the Belarusian border by an “organized group” with “a large amount of cash” and of “financing collective actions that caused serious damage to public order.”

As “Vyasna” reports, the court date has not yet been set. Many see the new case as revenge against Belarusian President Oleksandr Lukashenka, in power since 1994, an ally of Moscow who wants to silence any form of criticism, especially after the large protest movement following the elections in the summer of 2020.

Belarus is one of the 3 laureates of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize

This year, Ales Bialiatskyi received the Nobel Peace Prize for the struggle for the protection of human rights together with the Russian Memorial Center and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties.

Minsk condemned this award as a “political decision”.

Founded in 1996 during large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations in Belarus, “Vyasna” began its activities by providing assistance to prisoners and their relatives.

Later, the NGO’s activities expanded to the protection of human rights in general in the country, where violations of this kind are widespread.

In September, Russia permanently shut down Novaya Gazeta, the country’s last independent newspaper run by Dmytro Muratov, one of last year’s two Nobel Peace Prize laureates.