Sentences to participants of peaceful action of entrepreneurs: 1 1/2 and 2 years of restraint of liberty

The court of the Tsentralny district of Minsk sentenced Mikhas Subach and Paval Vinahradau, participants of the protest action of entrepreneurs, to two years of restraint of liberty without sending them to penitentiary institutions. One more figure in the trial of 14 minor Maksim Dashuk got 1 ½ years of restraint of liberty. The judgement was given by Valer Yesman.

It should be reminded that prosecutor Lukyanau demanded two years of restraint of liberty for the accused without sending them to penitentiary institutions.

Lawyers asked to acquit all accused. According to them, the investigation didn’t present evidence of their guilt. The accused weren’t identified on the video materials.

Witnesses for the prosecution were heard at the trial yesterday. Directors of GUM department store, Lasunak shop, Tsentralny supermarket and shared taxi park said they hadn’t seen the accused before and had no financial claims to them.

Traffic militia officers, except for Maksim Padbyarozkin, deputy head of the Minsk traffic militia, said they had never seen the accused before and hadn’t noticed any violations of public order by demonstrators on 10 January. Representatives of Minsktrans enterprise said public transport had worked normally, and passengers hadn’t complained.

14 opposition activists are involved in the case on participation in protest actions of entrepreneurs. 10 of them have been already convicted. Youth activist Andrei Kim is sentenced to one and a half year in penal colony by the Central district court of Minsk. Other participants of the trial of 14 – Alyaksei Bondar, Artsyom Dubski, Mikhal Kryvau, Mikhal Pashkevich, Ales Straltsou, Ales Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tishkevich are sentenced to correctional labour without sending them to penitentiary institutions. They must charge the state 20 per cent of their wages. Anton Koipish and Uladzimir Syarheeu are fined of 100 basic units. The judgement was read by Alena Illina.

It should be reminded that thousands of entrepreneurs attended the protest action on 10 January. They blocked off Independence Avenue protesting against discriminative decrees of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.