“European Belarus” activist Alyaksandr Barazenka amnestied

The oppositionist is ready to continue struggle for release of other political prisoners.

One of the persons involved in the Process of Fourteen, the activist of the “European Belarus” campaign Alyaksandr Barazenka, as well as amnestied participants of the process Mikhail Subach, Paval Vinahradau and Mikhail Pashkevich, the amnesty was a surprise.

“On Wednesday I was summoned to the prosecutor’s office of Pinsk. First I grew very suspicious, as I though a criminal action would be opened against me like against Artsyom Dubski, on charges relating Article 415 of the Criminal Code, for alleged violation of the regime of serving the sentence. But I was told in the prosecutor’s office that a law on amnesty would be applied to me. It was certainly a surprise to me, and in the near future I will go back to Minsk in order to fight for release of other political prisoners,” Barazenka said to the press-service of “European Belarus”.

We remind that the Process of 14 is a case under article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus instigated against participants of a peaceful protest rally of entrepreneurs held in Minsk on January 10, 2008.

For participation in this rally the Tsentralny district court of Minsk sentenced youth activist Andrei Kim to 1.5 years in penal colony (he was released in August 2008). Activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Alyaksandr Barazenka was sentenced to one year of restraint of liberty without sending him to a penal facility, he was kept in a detention center from October 27 to December 9, 2008. The rest participants of the Process of Fourteen – Artsyom Dubski, Alyaksei Bondar, Mikhail Kryvau, Mikhail Pashkevich, Alyaksandr Straltsou, Alyaksandr Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tsishkevich, Mikhail Subach, and Paval Vinahradau were sentenced to 2 years of restraint of liberty without sending them to special penal facilities. Minor Maksim Dashuk got 1.5 years of restraint of liberty.

Amnesty International recognized participants of the Process of 14 Prisoners of Conscience in 2009.

Leader of “Young Democrats” Mikhail Pashkevich was included in the amnesty in early June.

On June 15, 2009, minor Maksim Dashuk, activist of European Belarus”, was sentenced to a year and three months of restraint of liberty without sending him to an open type facility for violation of the rules of serving punishment.

On July 7, 2009, “Young Front” activist Artsyom Dubski was found guilty of violation the same 415 article of the Criminal Code (violation of the rules of serving punishment) and sentenced to a year of imprisonment. At the moment he is imprisoned in the remand prison No.5 of Babrusjk.