On 5 May, four participants of the 19 December post-election protests were sentenced to imprisonment. Activist of “Tell the Truth” campaign Pavel Vinahradau was sentenced to four years of imprisonment in a strict regime colony, member of “Youth Front” movement Alies Kirkevich – to four years too, member of Andrei Sannikau initiative group Dzmitry Drozd – to three years, Andrei Pratasenia – to three years, and Uladzimir Khamichenka – to three years.
The head of the Foundation for Legal Technologies Development Elena Tonkacheva, left, commented the result of the trial: “The sentence is very harsh, it is disproportional to the body of crime. These verdicts will sooner or later be revised. It is sad and painful to observe when such unmotivated decisions are adopted again and again. And they directly affect human lives”.
Human rights defender Valiantsi
n Stefanovich, right, also monitored the trial and declared that HR defenders do not recognise these sentences as lawful: “These verdicts are illegitimate and must be recalled. We insist on discharge of all convicted for Article 293, and we unconditionally recognise them as political prisoners. There were no mass riots in the evening of December 19 in Minsk. Thus, obviously, the human rights defenders do not agree with the verdicts”.
Sister of a political prisoners “fight” policeman 
Volha Klaskouskaya, left, is a younger sister of a KGB prisoner, the former police officer Aliaksandr Klaskouski, who tried to stop beating up the protesters during the dispersal of the Square. In order to support her brother, Volha has returned from Sweden, where she was granted a political asylum.
According to her, she was run in from
her apartment in the middle of the night, just like her brother, who was arrested the same way in December, after the policemen broke in. The journalist was beaten up, and had to spend the night at Leninski district police station.
According to her post on Facebook, the policemen tore her blouse, and when she tried to resist, she was accused of obstructing an authority.
According to Klaskouskaya, she is planning to ungergo the forensic examination. Her arm was hurt, and she has numerous haematoma over her body. Volha didn’t sign the protocol of her arrest in the night, she wasn’t even able to read it. She was brought to police station without shoes, her clothes were torn. The relatives could pass Volha shoes and clothes only in the morning.
Belarus criticised for situation with independent press
On occasion of World Press Freedom Day celebrated on May, 3, the chair-persons of U.S. Helsinki Committee brought attention to the alarming tendencies, that threaten freedom of press in some OSCE countries, Belarus in particular.
“I urge Belarusian authorities to stop ruthless campaign against independent mass-media and certain journalists, as well as to bring the current policy, particularly the one limiting access to the Internet, in accordance to commitments of OSCE member-country” – said the Co-chairman of Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, congressman Christopher Smith to the U.S. Senate.
Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery and a Federal Minister for Special Affairs Ronald Pofalla, who held a press-conference on May, 5 in Vilnius, said that the EU carefully follows the situation with “Narodnaya Volya” and “Nasha Niva” newspapers.
“The discharge of political prisoners is still in the centre of our attention, but it is unacceptable to shut down independent editions, and we will condemn that as well” – said Pofalla.
Belarus vs. International HR Observation Mission 
Six Russian human rights defenders were detained in Belarus on May, 4: Aleksander Mnatsakanyan, Viktoria Gromova, Irina Paikacheva, Liubov Zakharova, Yekaterina Korosteleva and Yuri Dzhibladze.
As a result, two Russian human rights defenders – Viktoria Gromova and Aleksander Mnatsakanyan, had to leave the territory of Belarus over next 24 hours.
On May, 7, it became known that Liubov Zakharova, Irina Paikacheva and Yekaterina Korosteleva also were ordered to leave the country in 24 hours.
All the human rights defenders were put on persona non grata list.
Earlier, other member of International Observation Mission were forced to leave the country because of their perona non grata status.
The chairman of Human Rights Centre “Vias
na” Alies Bialiatski, right, commented the situation: “I am “impressed” by this double standards situation! On the one hand, Belarusian authorities are asking Russia for credits, and on the other – expell Russian citizens, who are interested in the human rights situation”.
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