Alyaksandr Barazenka stands trial in Minsk
1- 8.12.2008, 7:21
Alyaksandr Barazenka, activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus”, stands trial in the Tsentralny district court of Minsk. The oppositionist was arrested for participation in entrepreneurs’ protest rallies. Human rights activists consider persecution of Alyaksandr Barazenka to be politically motivated.
The trial over Alyaksandr Barazenka starts at 2.00 p.m. in the Tsentralny district court of Minsk. The trial will be conducted by judge Natallya Vaitsekhovich, who judged “political” cases of opposition activist before.
Rallies demanding to release the prisoner of conscience are held throughout Belarus and in other countries of the world. People with portraits of Barazenka were coming to the detention facility in Valadarski Street every day during some weeks. Some of these solidarity rallies were dispersed by militia, democratic activists were detained.
On November 24, Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner urged the Belarusian authorities to release political prisoners.
Ms Ferrero-Waldner said, ““it is essential that Belarus remains a country without political prisoners and respects freedom of expression, association and assembly.”
The EU commissioner added that she notes “in particular the case of Mr Barazenka who is due to stand trial shortly and which we will follow closely.”
Activist of the “European Belarus” civil campaign Alyaksandr Barazenka was arrested on October 27 in a building of the Investigative Committee of Preliminary Investigation of the city militia department of the Minsk city executive committee, where he had been called in for questioning. The oppositionist is one of the figures of the Process of 14, a criminal case, instigated on article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus against participants of a peaceful rally of entrepreneurs, held in Minsk on January 10, 2008.
10 opposition activists, namely Alyaksei Bondar, Artsyom Dubski, Mikhail Kryvau, Mikhail Pashkevich, Alyaksandr Straltsou, Alyaksandr Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tishkevich, Mikhail Subach and Paval Vinahradau were sentenced to 2 years of restraint of liberty without sending them to penal facilities for participating in protest actions of entrepreneurs. Minor Maksim Dashuk got 1.5 year of restraint of liberty.
