Vitsebsk: Youth Activists Brought Back to Court and Fined

Source: www.charter97.org

On 6 June the youth activists Andrei Danileuski, Ales Dzeravianka, Zmitser Lisionak and Henadz Sharakh were detained near Pershamaiski court of Vitsebsk. They came to the court to support Valery Shchukin who was tried for a criminal offence and were detained for ‘holding an unsanctioned rally and insubordination to policemen’.

Yesterday at 1 p.m. the trial over the youngsters started in the court of Vitsebsk region. The consideration of the cases was postponed for the next week, as the detainees demanded lawyers and witnesses. However, after Danileuski, Dzeravianka, Lisionak and Sharakh were released from the court, police patrols started hunting for them in Vitsebsk, Radio Liberty informs.

Andrei Danileuski hadn’t left the building of the court when Judge Natallia Tratsiakova called him back to her office and read the verdict. The guy was fined 651 000 rubles (about 320 US dollars) for insubordination to police, and one basic unit for participation in unsanctioned rallies. Henadz Sharakh was convicted without witnesses and a lawyer as well. He was fined 31 000 rubles for participation in unauthorized action.



The police failed to find Ales Dzeravianka and Zmitser Lisionak and return them to the court. That is why they are to stand trial only next week.