Supreme Court upholds sentence for Haidukou

The Supreme Court of Belarus has upheld the court decision against political prisoner Andrei Haidukou.

“The desicion by the criminal panel of the Vitebsk regional court has been upheld by the Supreme Court of Belarus,” Interfax news agency reports.

The decision was taken after hearing appeals from Andrei Haidukou and his lawyers.

On June 1, 2013, Andrei Haidukou was found guilty of violating part 1 of article 356-a of the Criminal Code of Belarus (an attempt to establish contacts with special services, security agencies or intelligence bodies of a foreign state) and sentenced to 1.5 years in prison.

The verdict was pronounced by the Vitesbk regional court.

The trial of the Navapolatsk activist was held behind closed doors. The 23-year-old worker of Naftan plant was initially charged with violating part 1 of article 14 (attempted crime) and part 1 of article 356 (treason).

According to official information of the KGB press service, Andrei Haidukou was detained in Vitebsk as he was “installing a dead drop wit the information interesting for foreign secret agencies.”

His family and friends do not believe Haidukou was involved in spying. They explain the prosecution by the guy's pro-opposition views and his desire to open an international organisation “Union of Young Intellectuals” in Navapolatsk.