Belarus jail terms for opposition figures Kolesnikova and Znak

Two leading opposition figures who challenged Belarus's discredited presidential polls have been jailed for trying to threaten national security and seize power. Protest organiser Maria Kolesnikova was jailed for 11 years while lawyer Maxim Znak received 10 years. She and lawyer Maxim Znak joined an opposition Co-ordination Council after Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory. Prosecutors accused the council of trying to stage a coup. On Monday, a court in Minsk, the capital, found Kolesnikova and Znak guilty of crimes including plotting to seize power, threatening national security and extremism.