defending

At the same time, Lukashenko has tried to style himself as a tough nationalist with a direct manner, defending his country from harmful foreign influences, and a guarantor of stability.

The prize for the winners is a last-eight tie on Sunday against defending champions Canada.

Mark Heywood KC, defending Alesbrook, said the defendant was "very young and very immature" at the time of the offences, but was "capable of being a very caring father figure".

"It is such a way of defending that if there is not a full buy-in, then cracks appear," he said.

These include calling pro-choice protesters fat and ugly, defending the racist and antisemitic “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, and associating with Holocaust deniers.