Verdicts have been passed in another criminal case in absentia

The Brest Regional Court heard in absentia the criminal cases against Yauhen Vilski, Vadzim Dzmitranka, Volha Karach, Anatol Kotau, and Veranika Tsapkala. The trial was handled by judge Andrei Leshchanka.

It became known that all the defendants were sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment. Kotau and Karach were also fined 600,000 rubles (almost 170,000 euros); Vilski and Dzmitranak, 480,000 and 440,000 rubles, respectively (more than 135,000 and 124,000 euros); Tsapkala, 40,000 rubles (11,000 euros).

The defendants in the case were charged under five articles: "conspiracy or other actions with the aim of seizing state power" (Part 1 of Article 357 of the Criminal Code), "assistance to extremist activities" (Part 1 and Part 2 of Articles 361-4 of the Criminal Code), "creation of an extremist formation" (Part 1 and Part 3 of Articles 361-1 of the Criminal Code), "discrediting the Republic of Belarus" (Articles 369-1 of the Criminal Code), and "slander against Lukashenka" (Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code).