Trial of Pavel Seviarynets and Activists of European Belarus Made Secret

The trial is scheduled for May 12.

The court will consider the criminal case against the co-chair of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Pavel Seviarynets and activists of the European Belarus civil campaign Jauhen Afnahel, Pavel Yukhnievich, Dzmitry Kazlou, Maxim Viniarski and Andrei Voinich in private, the Mahiliou regional court informed Naviny.by.

The trial is scheduled for May 12. "The criminal case will be considered behind closed doors due as the law protects the secret", said an employee of the regional court, where the journalists had applied for the accreditation of a correspondent to cover the trial.

Pavel Seviarynets was detained on June 7, 2020, near his home in Minsk shortly after a "people's picket of freedom and solidarity". It was held near the pickets collecting signatures for the nomination of alternative candidates in front of the Komarouka market in Minsk.

On August 21, Seviarynets should have been released after 75 days of administrative detention. However, the Investigative Committee reported that a case under Article 108 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (detention on direct suspicion of committing a crime) was brought against the politician. Later it became known that Seviarynets was charged under para 2, Article 293 of the Criminal Code (participation in mass riots) and was kept in custody.

Voinich, Ukhnevich and Afnahel were detained on September 25th last year. In October, they were charged under para 2, Article 293 of the Criminal Code. In February 2021, the coordinator of European Belarus Afnahel was charged under para 3, Article 293 of the Criminal Code (training or other preparation of persons to participate in mass unrest or financing such activities).

The Interior Ministry announced the arrest of Viniarski on January 26. According to human rights activists, he is also charged under para 2, Article 293 of the Criminal Code (participation in mass riots).

Dzmitry Kazlou, a blogger Grey Cat, was detained on 10 June and arrested for 20 days the next day. He was supposed to be released on 30 June, but he remained behind bars. Later it became known that a case under para 1, Article 342 of the Criminal Code (organization or active participation in the group actions that grossly violate the public order) was brought against Kazlou.

All six defendants are in Mahiliou prison No. 4 and are recognized as political prisoners.