Iryna Khalip and Pavel Sevyarynets’s cassation appeals dismissed

The Minsk City Court upheld the judgements to Iryna Khalip, Pavel Sevyarynets and Syarhei Martsseleu.

Iryna Khalip, a journalist for Russian “Novaya Gazeta” and the wife of presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, said in court she didn’t find her verdict fair. “I still cannot believe that I was convicted for performing my professional duties. Journalists are not tried for performing their professional duties in this country. So, I was convicted as the wife of Sannikov. I find the verdict unfair and ask to overturn the sentence for the absence of elements of crime in my actions,” she said.

Sevyarynets noted that the main task of the law enforcement agencies in any country is providing safety of people who gathered for a peaceful demonstration. “Most participants of the post-election protests were in fact convicted for stepping on the carriageway. I have thought and think now that it was the best decision, because Belarusians remember the Nyamiha tragedy and consequences of hustling,” Sevyarynets said.

He underlined that the actions of the authorities on December 19 cannot be called other than outrage, BelaPAN reports.

His lawyer Vadzim Mushynski said the court of the first instance gave a wrong and not complete evaluation of the evidence that caused delivering an unfair sentence. According to the lawyer, the materials do not prove anything expect for the fact that Sevyarynets was present at the December 19 demonstration. In particular, there are no proofs that Sevyarynets called on people to violated public order. Mushynski emphasized that it was unfair to bring to criminal responsibility for a short break in public transport work due to presence of people in the traffic area.

Khalip’s lawyer Hanna Bakhtsina said the principles of objective unbiased consideration of the details of the case were not observed during the preliminary investigation. She stressed that some days after the event sin the Square, the Belarusian First TV Channel showed a film “The Iron against the Glass”, which later lied in foundation of charges against Khalip and other persons. Bakhtsina noted that the film contained investigation materials that cannot be disclosed before pronouncing a verdict. At the same time, the lawyers, who told journalists some details of the cases, were disbarred, the lawyer reminds.

The lawyer made a very emotional speech. At the end she said: “The time will come and we will return to this case. It will be heard in the proper way and all evidence will be taken into account.” “I ask you to hear the case objectively and take the only fair decision, the decision we ask for in the cassation appeal,” Bakhtsina said.

Her speech was met by applaud. Judge Styapurka called on the audience to stop applauding: “You are not at a demonstration after all.”

Prosecutor Melnik said the guilt of Khalip, Sevyarynets and Martseleu was proven and there were no grounds to overturn the sentences. The prosecutor added that in his “personal opinion”, the speech by Bakhtsina, especially its last part, can be regarded as a threat.

Iryna Khalip is given two years’ suspended sentence. Pavel Sevyarynets was sentenced to three years in an open type prison facility. Syarhei Martseleu got two years of suspended sentence.