Circuit court to try Lyabedzka, Kalyakin and Atroshchankau

Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, Syarhei Kalyakin and Anatol Lyabedzka were taken off the train on their way to Russia. They are to be tried today by a court in a visiting session.

BelaPAN was informed about that by Atroshchankau’s father. “In the remand prison I was told that the trial will start at the noon in the Line Internal Affairs Department,” Syarhei Atroshchankau said.

We remind that Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, Syarhei Kalyakin and Anatol Lyabedzka were taken off a train in Vorsha on their way from Minsk to Moscow on the night of March 28. They were going to Moscow and then to Brussels to attend European Commission’s meetings on March 29. First customs officers stated the oppositionists were suspected of drugs trafficking, and later it turned out they were charged with petty hooliganism, allegedly committed in the train. It was expected that they would stand trial in the court of Vorsha (Orsha) and Vorsha district on the same day, however without explaining reasons the trial was postponed to March 29. All this time Lyabedzka, Kalyakin and Atroshchankau were kept in the temporary containment cell in Vorsha.

As it was informed earlier, the oppositionists planned to take part in the presentation of the new program of the EU “European Dialogue for Belarus’ Modernization” which is to be held today, and to meet with representatives of the European Commission. Besides, Alyaksandr Atroshchankau was invited for an interview to Radio RSN (Russian News Service) in Moscow.

It should be noted that in early March Lyabedzka and Kalyakin encountered the same problem. Belarusian border guards prevented him from going to Lithuania explaining that by the fact that the both leaders of the oppositional parties had been put on the so-called list of persons banned from going abroad. However, no charged were presented then.