WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz on Monday condemned the sentencing of Belarusian opposition figures Maria Kolesnikova and Maxim Znak.

       Kolesnikova and Znak were sentenced to 11 years and 10 years in prison, respectively, leading to an outcry from Western countries.

       "The decision of the Belarusian authorities ... deserves firm condemnation. This is an open crushing of human rights and another step intended to intimidate the Belarusian society. This repression should not go unanswered," Przydacz said on Twitter.

       (Reporting by Anna Koper; Editing by Peter Cooney)