Valer Tsapkala Sentenced To 17 years In Prison

The politician was tried in absentia.

In Minsk, the consideration of the criminal case of the candidate for the presidential election of 2020 Valer Tsapkala has been completed.

The court found the politician, who was being tried in absentia, guilty and sentenced him to 17 years in prison to be served in a reinforced-security penal colony.

The trial in absentia of the former head of the High-Tech Park Valer Tsapkala began on March 1. He was being tried both for actions allegedly committed by him while still in the position of director of the Hi-Tech Park, and for political activities.

The final charge against Valer Tsapkala was brought under nine articles of the Criminal Code, namely:

receiving a bribe on an especially large scale (Part 3 of Article 430);

abuse of official powers out of mercenary and personal interest, which caused large-scale damage, significant harm to state and public interests (Part 2 of Article 424);

deliberately false denunciation of the commission of a crime (Part 1 of Article 400);

public calls for the seizure of state power, an act of terrorism, other actions aimed at causing harm to national security (Part 3 of Article 361);

the creation of an extremist formation and its leadership (Part 1 of Article 361-1);

financing of extremist activities (Part 2 of Article 361-2);

slander against Aliaksandr Lukashenka (Part 2 of Article 367);

public insult of Lukashenka (Part 2 of Article 368);

discrediting the Republic of Belarus (Article 369-1).