Klimau Sentenced to 1,5 Years of Personal Restraint
On 10 June 2005 Minsk Tsentralny Borough Court sentenced Andrei Klimau, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th Convocation, to 1,5 years of personal restraint. The two months he spent in the investigative ward of Minsk were included, that’s why 16 months are left. A. Klimau was released from the court hall and has 10 days to complain against the verdict to Minsk City Court.
We should remind that A. Klimau was charged with violation of Article #342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (organization of group actions that grossly violate public order). According to the investigation, on 25 March 2005 A. Klimau organized unauthorized mass action in the center of Minsk.
It’s worth mentioning that despite its peaceful and non-violent nature, the protest action of 25 March was violently dispersed by the police. In its speech the representative of the state accusation, procurator Vadzim Pazniak asked to punish Andrei Klimau with three years of penal colony.
By the way, it is not the last trial of Klimau. He is also charged with libel of president (part 2 of Article #368 of the Criminal Code) and insult of president (part 1 of Article #368 of the Criminal Code) that have been allegedly found in his books and articles.
