Russian citizen Ivan Gaponov is kept in pre-trial prison in Valadarski Street

Ivan Gaponov is a citizen of the Russian Federation living in Belarus. He was sentenced to 10 days of arrest for participation in the protest action of 19 December. In the evening of 29 December he was released from jail together with other Russian citizens. He came home and managed to spend one hour there, after which there came two police officers who told that he was a suspect in the criminal case concerning the alleged mass riot on 19 December. As a result, Ivan was interrogated in presence of the duty barrister, after which he was taken back to Akrestsin Street jail. There he had a meeting with the Russian consul on 31 December.

In the morning of 1 January it became known that Mr. Gaponov was transferred to the pre-trial prison in Valadarski Street right after the meeting with the consul.

By the way, he is one of the two citizens of the Russian Federation who are suspects in this case. The other possible suspect is Artyom Breus. He was also re-detained after serving the arrest term and returned to jail. Some time later his friends were told that he wasn't kept there, which means that he could be transferred to the pre-trial prison in Akrestsin Street as well.