Former Belarusian Ambassador to Argentina Vladimir Astapenko, who supported the Belarusian opposition in 2020, was sentenced in absentia to 5 years in prison. Also, he was fined 18,500 Belarusian rubles (about US$6,600), Kommersant reported.
Astapenko was found guilty under Section 1 of Article 14 and Section 3 of Article 210 of the Belarusian Criminal Code; that is, attempt to seize property on a large scale, committed by an official using his official powers. 
But due to the amnesty in connection with the Day of National Unity, the ex-ambassador was partially excused from the main sentence, and the term of imprisonment was reduced to 4 years.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Belarus, in October 2020, the Embassy of Belarus in Argentina had paid for the airline tickets on the Buenos Aires-Paris-Minsk route to the ambassador and his family members. However, Vladimir Astapenko did not use the ticket to Minsk and, without notifying the Belarusian authorities, booked tickets from Paris to Warsaw.
On November 3, 2020, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko dismissed Vladimir Astapenko due to “a misconduct incompatible with being in the diplomatic service.” 
On October 27, 2020 Astapenko wrote a letter of resignation, in which he accused his “employer” of violating the law. 
Then he explained that he could not fulfill his duties in good faith, since he was subordinate to a person “who does not have the right to express the will of the Belarusian people.”