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A Bangladeshi court on Wednesday indicted Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and 13 others on embezzlement charges, the latest accusations against the respected economist that many of his supporters say are politically motivated, the Associated Press reported.

The prosecution accused Yunus and other defendants of embezzling around $2 million from the employees’ welfare fund of Grameen Telecom, one of the many companies he founded. The defendants are also accused of money laundering.

The trial against them will take place next month.

Yunus and others have denied the allegations and accused authorities of “harassing” him and his colleagues. His lawyer told Agence France-Presse that the charges against him were serious and he could face “up to a life term in prison” if found guilty.

Yunus is well-known around the world for pioneering a microfinance bank to help impoverished populations, especially women. For his work, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

But Yunus has previously clashed with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has accused him of “sucking blood” from the poor.

In January, Yunus and three colleagues from Grameen Telecom were sentenced to six months in prison for violating labor laws.

Yunus is also facing more than 100 other charges related to labor law violations and alleged graft.

His supporters – including more than 170 world leaders and Nobel laureates – have urged Hasina to suspend legal proceedings against Yunus, as well as accused the government of targeting him politically.

The government has denied the accusations.