“Grey Cat” Got Another 15 Days In Jail For Defending Independence

The opposition politician Mikalai Statkevich was fined as well.

January 27, Minsk courts tried the participants of rallies held in support of the independence of Belarus and against the deep integration with Russia, the human rights center Viasna reports.

Judge Tatsiana Shotsik sentenced the activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Dzmirty Kazlou (blogger “Grey Cat”) to another 15 days of arrest under Part 3 of Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code of Belarus for taking part in the rally that was held in Minsk last December 8. All previous trials of Kazlou for rallies held in December ended the same way: 7 times 15 days each, 120 days in total.

Kazlou did not come to the hearing and his interests were represented by an attorney. She asked for the judge's recusal, but her motion was rejected.

Police officers Andrei Tikhanau and Dzmitry Karaneuski acted as witnesses. Tikhanau refused to tell how he identified Kazlou; the report said that he found out later who was the person they detained, while in court he claimed that he had recognized the blogger immediately. He answered "I don't remember" to many questions. Karaneuski said in court that he knew the “Grey Cat” as a blogger, and later found out that it was Kazlou. None of the police officers was able to tell what actions of the protesters violated public order, except that they were just present there.

The results of other courts on January 27th:

Mikalai Statkevich – fined 1350 Belarusian rubles for taking part in the rally held on December 20 in Minsk, second trial, Judge Aliaksei Kisliak, Leninski District Court of Minsk.

Andrei Kudzik - fined 1080 Belarusian rubles for the rally held on December 8 in Minsk, Judge Aliaksei Kisliak.

Dziana Seradziuk – fined 1350 Belarusian rubles for taking part in the rally held on December 20 in Minsk, Judge Maksim Trusevich, Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk.

Liavon Barshcheuski - fined 810 Belarusian rubles, judge Ivan Kastian, Tsentralny District Court of Minsk.

Piotr Sadouski - fined 810 Belarusian rubles for the rally held on December 7 in Minsk, Judge Tatsiana Akavitaya, Tsentralny District Court of Minsk.