MINSK: An oil refinery mechanic went on trial in Belarus on Wednesday on treason charges after the government said it had foiled his attempt to pass information to foreign powers.
The defendant, Andrei Gaidukov, said in a letter read out by a supporter before the start of the trial that he was accused of seeking financing from the CIA.
The secretive ex-Soviet state released few details of the case, while rights activists said the defendant had taken part in protests against strongman President Alexander Lukashenko, who has fiercely cracked down on political opponents over the past two years.
Gaidukov, 23, was detained last November while trying to pass the information to the foreign secret services through a dead drop, said the KGB, Belarus's security service.
Its head, Valery Vakulchik, accused him of "planting a concealed device with information that interests foreign security services".
He faces up to 15 years in prison. The trial began in the northeastern city of Vitebsk, but rights activist Tatyana Severinets told AFP that a European Union diplomat and members of the public were prevented from entering the courtroom.
In a letter sent to rights activists that Severinets read out before the trial, Gaidukov said: "The accusation against me is that I could have threatened national security."
Gaidukov also said that he was accused of seeking financing for his activities "at the US embassy, that is in the CIA".
He worked as a mechanic at Naftan oil refinery. A co-worker and friend, Yevgeny Konstantinov, told AFP that it was impossible for someone at such a low level to learn any secrets.
Gaidukov had attended several silent protests against Lukashenko's regime in 2011, his friends said.
A member of Belarussian human rights group Vyasna (Spring), Vladimir Labkovich, said: "So far we are not calling Gaidukov a political prisoner but we are following the situation very carefully.
"The fact that the trial is closed already shows that it is political. Based on the trial's outcome we will make an announcement on whether we consider Gaidukov a political prisoner," he told AFP.
Gaidukov's mother Olga told Vyasna that she had been barred from visiting her son in detention or attending the trial.
Lukashenko and his security forces are enforcing an unprecedented crackdown on the opposition following the president's disputed victory in December 2010 presidential elections.
Dozens of opposition politicians and activists have been jailed, and severe restrictions have been imposed on rallies. Charges of treason have been rare until recently, however.
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