Syarhei Kavalenka fell unconscious at court (Photo, video)

On February 23 in Vitsebsk a trial over Syarhei Kavalenka continued behind the closed doors.

None of those present was allowed to enter the courtroom except the lawyers. People who were left in corridor, started to express anger and demand a possibility to attend the session of the court. Two police cameramen were videoing the discontent, Radio Svaboda informs.

In a few minutes riot policemen arrived. They started to expel the indignant people outside to the street. Lidziya Kavalenka, the mother of the political prisoner, was hit in kidney area violently, and the jacket of his father, Alyaksandr, was torn. Ihar Skarynovich, the chief of the public security police, was in charge of the operation.

The corridor was blocked by tables so that people would not be able to enter the courtroom any more.

As said by the lawyer Alyaksandr Haliyeu, 15 strangers entered the courtroom, and Kavalenka lodged a motion for the people he knows and journalists to be allowed to attend the trial. The political prisoner also proposed a disqualification of the judge and prosecutor. But the judge did not grant these motions.

Kavalenka was checked by doctors again because of his bad state of health. During the examination he was given a vaccination, and he lost consciousness and could not participate in the trial any more.

Although Kavalenka could not stand on his feet and felt bad, the court trial continued by examination of the political prisoner in court. Lawyers and Kavalenka himself lodged a motion to change the measure of restraint for him. But the judge did not grant the motions. Only one witness managed to speak at court before the afternoon. It was a representative of the penal inspection who stated that Kavalenka had violated the regime of serving the sentence.

As before, journalists and relatives were allowed to enter the courtroom.

We remind that the yesterday’s session ended in judge Alena Zhuk denial to grant any motions of the political prisoner. She also said that Kavalenka’s health condition permits him to be present at court, though he had stated many times that he started losing vision and growing deaf, and he felt extremely bad.

Since December 22 Syarhei Kavalenka is kept in the remand prison of Vitsebsk. He is charged with numerous violations of probation terms. He is serving correctional labour term at home. The activist was given a suspended sentence for hanging out a Belarusian national white-red-white flag in Vitsebsk. Syarhei Kavalenka continues his hunger strike in spite force-feeding. He faces up to 3 years in prison.