Summary Alexander Alesin is charged with treason and spying, could be imprisoned for up to 15 years.
MINSK, Belarus: (AP) - The daughter of a prominent journalist jailed in Belarus says he is being charged with treason and spying, offenses that could see him imprisoned for up to 15 years.
Olga Alesina said Tuesday that a security service agent advised her not to retain a lawyer to represent her father, Alexander Alesin.
Alesin, a military analyst for a well-known weekly newspaper, has been missing since Nov. 25 when he was reportedly snatched while meeting an unidentified European diplomat in a cafe in the capital, Minsk. The security service KGB confirmed only Monday that he had been arrested.
Alesin s relatives say they have not been told why he was arrested.
The Belarusian government has been criticized for years for cracking down on independent media and non-governmental human rights organizations.
