European Belarus Activist Leanid Kulakou Sentenced To 25 Days

At the moment this is the maximum sentence for the Freedom Day celebration.

The Savietski district court considered the case of taxi driver and European Belarus civil campaign activist Leanid Kulakou, tut.by writes.

Kulakou says that when he was going to the rally, he took with him two blocks of cigarettes, several kilograms of onions, garlic. Everything was seized during the detention.

He did not get up, when the judge entered.

– I will not get up. I do not trust the court that serves this bloody and thievish regime, – Leanid Kulakou said.

– We'll discuss this later, – the judge answered.

Leanid Kulakou refused to answer any judge’s questions and give explanations.

Maryna Fiodarava announced a break, after which she stated that Leanid Kulakou had no grounds for the disqualification of the judge.

– Do you want to declare any procedural request? – the judge asked.

– I need to get acquainted with the case materials, but I do not see anything without my glasses. I was not allowed to read any documents at the police department.

– Where are your glasses?

– At the Savietski district police department.

A break for 10 minutes was announced again.

The glasses were found. Leanid got acquainted with the case materials. And after that he explained to the court that he wanted to participate in the rally, but he just did not get there. Everything was blocked, he did not know where to go. He was just looking around. Police officers approached and told him to pass into a prison truck.

– They did not touch me even with a finger. Therefore, the protocol is a provocation and a lie. And the result is known to everyone.

Then witnesses Kachan and Mikhaseu were questioned.

– I detained him on Khmialnitski Street on March 25 at about two o'clock in the afternoon, – Dzmitry Kachan said quickly.

– Do not rush, – the judge stopped him.

Next, he told the learned text, as he had done during the trials before. Witnesses Kachan and Mikhaliou had attended plenty of trials at the Savietski district court.

– Are you telling the truth? – Leanid Kulakou asked Kachan.

– Yes.

– Are you ready to swear?

– We are not in the States to swear an oath, – Dzmitry Kachan replied, despite the fact that the judge disallowed the question to the witness.

Activist Leanid Kulakou called witness Kanstantsin Mikhasiou a "perjurer".

– You're lying. Because the protocol says that I was detained in Khmialnitski street. But it happened in Yakub Kolas street, – Kulakou specified. – And there was no picket, I was standing alone. There is no faith to you. The verdict is known to everyone.

As a matter of fact, witness Kachan first mix up Leanid Kulakou with the Viasna human rights activist, sitting on a nearby bench.

The verdict of the judge is 25 days of arrest.