Trial Against Political Prisoner Sviataslau Baranovich Started

The case is under consideration in the Maskouski district court of Minsk.

The Maskouski district court of Minsk has started consideration of the case of Sviataslau Baranovich, accused of violence against an employee of internal authorities, Belsat reports.

He faces arrest or restriction of freedom for up to 5 years, or imprisonment for up to 6 years.

The case is considered by Judge Sviatlana Bandarenka.

The incident occurred on March 15 last year after the sanctioned Non-Parasites March" in Minsk. Baranovich tried to defend the people who were detained in trolley bus #37 at the Bangalore Square stop, from the policemen in plain clothes. Among the detainees were both participants of the action, and ordinary passengers of the trolleybus.

Baranovich himself was detained six months later, on October 3. He was placed in pre-trial detention center #1 in Minsk.

According to human rights activists, the case was originally initiated under Article 339 of the Criminal Code of Belarus ("Hooliganism"), and later the charge was re-qualified under article 364 ("Violence or threat of violence against an officer of internal affairs bodies"). Under this article, he faces arrest or restriction of freedom for up to 5 years, or imprisonment for up to 6 years.

Participants in the forum "Freedom for Political Prisoners of Belarus", including Hanna Shaputska, Aleh Vouchak, Pavel Seviarynets, Andrei Bandarenka, Katsiaryna Sadouskaya, Volha Nikalaichyk, Mikalai Autukhovich and others, voted to include Sviataslau Baranovych in the list of political prisoners, since they consider his case "persecution for political reasons."

They urge human rights defenders and politicians of Belarus to join the campaign of solidarity with Sviataslau Baranovich.

The Forum's coordinator Hanna Shaputska told why she voted for Baranovich's recognition as a political prisoner.

"According to my information, the incident for which the case was initiated against Sviataslau Baranovich was as follows. After the "Outraged Belarusians' March", unknown persons began to detain the marchers - young anarchists, who tried to leave on the trolleybus from Bangalore Square. And these people were in civilian clothes and did not introduce themselves as policemen. A fight broke out in which Sviataslau Baranovich took part. But he, like the others, did not know that the police officers were in front of him, since they did not introduce themselves and were in civilian clothes. He could take these people for hooligans and, accordingly, give them resistance. So what's his fault? And the fact that he allegedly pleaded guilty under arrest is also understandable. They pressed on the person, because his political views are well known, and they are taking revenge, " - Hanna Shaputska says.

"We are very worried and outraged by such lawlessness of the law enforcement bodies and we demand that prosecutors check the actions of employees who on 15.03.2017, while at work without uniform and insignia, without introducing themselves, without showing a service certificate, forcibly, banditically attacked peaceful Minsk citizens, acted impudently, unprofessionally, despite the fact that according to paragraph 10 of Chapter 3 of the "Rules of Professional Ethics of the Employees of the Internal Affairs Bodies of the Republic of Belarus", they are obliged to show patience, kindness, tact, and respect when communicating with citizens," - the human rights activists said in a statement.