Paludzen gets 3.5-year prison term

Yauheny Paludzen, a former deputy interior minister of Belarus, has been given a 3.5-year sentence.

The judgement was pronounced today by the military panel of the Supreme Court, Interfax news agency reports.

Paludzen was found guilty of violating part 3 of article 424 and part of article 426 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (abuse of power by an official).

The court decision is final and cannot be appealed against. According to the military panel, the investigation into accepting Br1.8 million for execution of a document and accepting a bribe of 100 litres of diesel fuel (part 3 of article 430) was closed for lack of evidence.

According to the court ruling, Paludzen has the right to apply for court records within five days.

Under the court decision, Paludzen's pretrial detention was counted as z part of his sentence.

Paludzen was arrested on December 8, 2011. On December 27, he was relieved of his duties as a deputy interior minister and transferred to the reserve for the “actions which cast discredit on the law enforcement officer”.

The military panel of the Supreme Court heard Paludzen's case behind closed doors.

Yauheny Paludzen was appointed deputy interior minister and public security police chief on August 4, 2009.

He was in charge of dispersing opposition protest rallies.