Anastasia Loika: Surapin can hope only for a suspended sentence (Video)

A human rights activist thinks the Belarusian authorities cannot release the journalist without punishment.

Relatives of the photographer, who was the first to post photos of teddy bears, say almost nothing new appeared in his case, Belsat TV reports.

Photographer Anton Surapin and Minsk-based estate agent Syarhei Basharimau remain in the KGB jail. Both are charged with involvement in illegal border crossing. They may face up to 7 years in prison.

Alena Surapina, the mother of Anton, says a lawyer visited her son on Wednesday: “She did not tell me anything new. She just said the son wanted us to know he was fine. Nothing new. Absolutely nothing.”

“The Belarusian authorities cannot release them without punishment. It's not their style,” human rights activist Anastasia Loika explains. “There is a hope the situation will develop like with post-election protests on December 19, 2010. People were held in the KGB jail for some time, but they then were either released or given suspended prison terms.”