On April 22, ten young activists detained during the entrepreneurs’ demonstration in Minsk 10 January received their sentences, varying from fines of 1100 Euro to 1.5 years´ imprisonment. Yesterday, Siarhei Parsiukevich, right, one of the entrepreneurs´ leaders, was given 2.5 years behind bars. (24-APR-08)
Source: www.spring96.org, illustrations from www.nn.by and www.svaboda.org
14 young oppositional activists were detained during the entrepreneurs’ demonstration on January 10 in Minsk. They were found guilty by the court in participating in the actions found to have disturbed public peace. Andrei Kim, left, was also accused of “violence or threatening violence towards a police officer”. Andrei Kim was sentenced to 1.5 years´ imprisonment.
Uladzimir Siarheyeu and Anton Koipish will pay fines of 3.5 million BYR (about 1100 Euros). Mikhail Pashkevich, Tatsiana Tsishkevich, Mikhail Kryvau, Ales Bondar, Artsiom Dubski, Ales Straltsou, and Ales Charnyshou were sentenced to 2 years´ freedom restriction without placement in penitentiary institutions. They remain under ban to leave the country. They will work in their regular place of work, paying 20% of their salary to the state. Four other detained activists will appear before court later. Defense lawyers stated they would appeal against conviction at the courts of the highest resort and even at the international institutions. They consider the sentence illegal and violating fundamental human rights.
The sentence for the entrepreneur
On April 23, Parsiukevich was found guilty of an offence under Article 364 of the Criminal Code (“Violence or thretening violence towards a police officer”). Parsiukevich was sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment. Parsiukevich will also have to pay 1.1 million BYR (about 325 Euro) to police officer Dulub. He was arrested on 4 March for the alleged “violence against a militiaman”. Previously Syarhei Parsyukevich had been arrested for having taken part in the entrepreneurs’ protest rally held in Minsk and sentenced to 15 days´ detention which he spent in the special distribution jail in Akrestsin Street. According to Syarhei Parsyukevich, he was beaten up violently by a militiaman Aliaksandar Dulub, an officer of the 
prison, on 21 January. Later on, to avoid being charged for excessive use of violence, the militiaman accused Syarhei Parsyukevich of having beaten him first.
Reaction
Belarusian human rights activists and politicians consider both sentences illegal and politically motivated. They bind it up with the coming parliamentary election and authorities attempts to intimidated Belarusian people not to participate in protest actions.
Left, a demonstration was held outside the court rooms.
