Minsk: Youth Activists Aliaksandr Kazakou and Zmitser Zubro Are Sentenced to 2 Years of Personal Restraint

On 7 April the judge of Minsk Tsentralny Borough Court Iesman there was considered the criminal case against the activists of the youth movement Zubr Aliaksandr Kazakou and Zmitser Zubro.

We should remind that Kazakou and Zubro were detained at night on 28 December 2005 for political graffiti (they drew number ‘16’ to urge citizen to join the action Day of Solidarity with political prisoners that is carried out in Belarus on 16th day of each month). They spent more than two days in isolator and then were released. They were accused of violation of part 2 of article 363 of the Criminal Code (resistance to the police).

As a result of the trial Aliaksandr Kazakou and Zmitser Zubro were sentenced to two years of personal restraint. They haven’t been imprisoned yet and their defense lawyers have submitted cassation complaints to Minsk City Court.

Human Rights Viasna considers the sentence to the activists unfair and politically motivated.