Trial over Vasily Parfiankou

Former political prisoner Vasily Parfiankou will be tried today.

The trial begins today at 14:30 in the Pershamaiski district court (9 Tolbukhin Street). Former political prisoner Vasily Parfiankou is accused of violating the rules of the preventive supervision (article 421 of the Criminal Code).

The trial was to be held on November 28. Parfiankou was escorted to the court. But the trial was postponed, because Parfiankou hadn't received a summons in medical and labour centre No. 1 in Svetlahorsk, where he lives now.

Vasily Parfiankou has faced criminal and administrative prosecution for participating in opposition rallies for the last 3 years. He was detained in Minsk on January 4, 2011, on accusations of taking part in the alleged “mass disorders” during a rally against the rigged presidential election on December 10, 2010. He was thrown into a pretrial detention facility in Minsk three days later. A criminal case over article 293 of the Criminal Code was opened against him.

He was the first person to be convicted in the December 19 case: Minsk's Frunzenski district court gave him 4 years in a medium security correctional colony on February 17, 2011. He was serving his term in Orsha. He spent ten days (July 17—27) in a punishment cells for “violating the rules of wearing clothes”.

He was pardoned by Lukashenka on August 11, 2011.

On May 29, Vasily Parfiankou was tried under article 421 of the Criminal Code by judge Siarhei Bandarenka of Minsk's Pershamaiski district court. He was placed under preventive supervision for a year on January 5, 2012, for his political activity.

On July 24, the Minsk city court dismissed an appeal against sentencing him to 6 months in custody for violating the supervision rules.

Vasily Parfiankou was taken into custody on August 9, 2012. He had served his term in a detention facility in Baranavichy until February 9, 2013. He was placed under preventive supervision after the release.

On July 12, 2013, Vasily was charged with violating article 421 of the Criminal Code (violation of the supervision rules). The case was sent to a court, but the activist wasn't tried. The activist spent five days in a detention centre and was sent in a medical and labour centre in Svetlahorsk for a year on September 21, 2013.

Human rights defenders say the decision to send him to the medical and labour centre was taken by Minsk's Pershamaiski district court on September 4.