Hundreds Of People Came To Support Those Involved In "Students' Case" In Minsk

The trial has begun in the Savetski district court.

On May 14, the court of Savetski district of Minsk starts to consider the "case of the students" who were detained in November 2020. All in all, there are 12 defendants in the case: ten students from different universities in Minsk, a graduate of medical school and a teacher of the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics. They have been in pre-trial detention for more than six months. It is assumed that the case will be considered for a few weeks, tut.by reports.

The students' case is currently being considered by the Savetski district court of Minsk - in the building of the House of Justice at 33, Siamashka street. It was late fall when the students were detained, and now it's already late spring.

Friends and relatives of the accused started arriving at the House of Justice, where the trial is to take place, far in advance - by 9:30.

According to Belsat, more than 200 people have come to support defendants in the "students' case".

Vital Budzko - father of detained Kasia from Belarusian State Pedagogical University - is also here. In the last six months he hasn't seen his daughter: only her mother and grandmother could get to the only meeting with her. Will he see his daughter today? He is not sure either: as it has been explained to him, there are only 20 seats in the hall for listeners, and there are 12 defendants, and each of them has more than one relative.

Young people who have come to support the students gather on the porch of the House of Justice, go inside, but then come out in a short while.

- They say there aren't enough seats in the hall, so only relatives will be allowed in at first. We asked if we could at least stay at the door. They said no, because it is "covid". And this was said by a man without a mask, - the young people are indignant and they stay on the porch.

The hearing is scheduled for 10.30. Judge Maryna Fiodarova presides at the trial. The lawyers are allowed into the hall first, then - two relatives of each defendant, the assistant of the head of the Savetski District Court announced. The reporters and other listeners will be let in only if there are still empty seats in the hall.

What happened?

On November 12, 2020, the KGB came to nine students of five Minsk universities, a teacher at the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, and a graduate of the medical university. The houses of each of them were searched, and then they were taken to the State Security Committee. Two weeks later another student was detained.

Who is on trial?

There are 12 defendants in the case. They have been kept in custody for more than six months. They are students of Belarusian State University (they were expelled shortly before the detention), students of Belarusian State Pedagogical University Yana Arbeika and Kasia Budzko, students Viktoryja Hrankouskaya and Anastasia Bulybenka, expelled from BNTU, Maryja Kalenik - from the Academy of Arts, Hleb Fitzner from MSLU, as well as BSUIR lecturer Volha Filatchankava and graduate of BSMU, representative of Tsikhanouskaya for youth and students affairs Alana Hebremariam.