Byalyatski left in prison

The Minsk City Court has upheld the sentence for Belarusian human rights activist Ales Byalyatski.

The Minsk City Court dismissed a motion to change punishment for Ales Byalyatski and a motion of defenders asking to summon the prisoner for the trial.

Dzmitry Layeuski, the lawyer of Belarusian human rights defender Ales Byalyatski, thinks the information about his client’s accounts in foreign banks was obtained unlawfully.

Layeuski noted the first instance court grounded its decision on the data from Lithuanian and Polish banks that were received in violation of the international legislation.

Besides, the documents from banks do not contain signatures or seals of bank executive officials and thus cannot be used as evidence. The lawyer turned attention of the court to the fact that original documents had not been seized from banks.

The defender stressed the court of the first instance did not have satisfactory proofs that Byalyatski used the money at his own discretion.

Layeuski added most of the arrested by court property was bought by Byalyatski during marriage, so it is considered common property.

The lawyer stressed the court referred to a letter of the Ministry of Justice of Belarus to prove Byalyatski’s guilt, but the duration of the letter had expired.

The lawyer emphasized the court had no right to adjust the sum of financial damage to the inflation rate.

Prosecutor Kiryl Chubkavets said the Pershamaiski district court had enough evidence for deliver a verdict in the case.

On November 24, 2011, the Pershamaiski district court of Minsk sentenced Ales Byalyatski, the head of Viasna human right centre, to 4.5 years in a medium security penal colony and confiscation of property for alleged tax evasion on an especially large scale (part 2 of article 243 of the Criminal Code).

Byalyatski must pay compensation of 721mn Belarusian rubles (about $86,000) and 36mn rubles of state duty.

On January 18, human right activist’s wife Natallia Pinchuk transferred 757,526,717 Belarusian rubles ($90,000) to the account of the justice department of the Minsk city executive committee. The money was collected by voluntary donating.

Byalyatski faced prosecution after information about his accounts in foreign banks was disclosed to the Belarusian authorities by Lithuania and Poland. Byalyatski said in court the money on the accounts was used for human rights activity.

Byalyatski is in a detention facility in Zhodzina.

The leadership of the European Union, the US and international human rights groups consider the sentencing to be politically motivated and demand the Belarusian authorities to release the human rights activist.