**Three Activists Sentenced to Prison in Belarus**
Two Belarusians and one Ukrainian have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 11 to 25 years for allegedly preparing terrorist acts, according to the Viasna Human Rights Center. The sentences were handed down by Belarusian authorities on December 19.
The three men were detained along with three others on September 11 by the Belarusian KGB. A propaganda film about the group was aired on state-controlled television at the same time, showing some detainees being beaten and others in chains.
Prosecutors claimed that two of the men tried to blow up a section of railroad, while the third man’s actions were classified as “illegal trafficking of explosives.” The details of their sentences have not been released.
The sentencing comes as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko prepares for his seventh term in office ahead of the January 2025 presidential election. Lukashenko has recently pardoned prisoners convicted of extremism, but these individuals were seen by many as victims of repression following a rigged election in 2020.
**Ukraine Reports Clashes with North Korean Soldiers**
Ukrainian forces have clashed with North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia on Ukrainian territory. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces reported that they had killed 12 North Korean soldiers and injured 20 others, preventing their advance in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s recent threats to use a new intermediate-range ballistic missile against Kyiv to test Western air defenses.