Jan 17 (Reuters) - Belarus put exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on trial in absentia on treason charges on Tuesday, in what the outspoken critic of veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko said would be a "farce and a show". Tsikhanouskaya, 40, fled Belarus after running against Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election which was followed by mass protests over alleged electoral fraud. Tsikhanouskaya and several others were to be tried on charges of treason and attempting to seize power, the court said before the trial. Rights activists estimate about 1,500 people are in jail in Belarus on politically motivated charges. They could face from seven to 12 years in jail on charges of financing protests and smuggling money.

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