Supreme Court turned down Ryhor Kastusiou's appeal against results of presidential election

On 3 January the former presidential candidate representing the BPF party filed an appeal to the Supreme Court enlisting violations during the electoral campaign and asking to re-consider the election results, announced by the Central Election Commission (CEC).

On 11 January Ryhor Kastusiou received a written reply from the Supreme Court. The letter says the claim had been studied by judge Zhukouskaya, who had decided not to bring a case as 'there are no grounds for this'.

'Of course, I expected such a decision. The CEC spokesman Mikalai Lazavik had said this even before my appeal was considered. I haven't learned anything new from the letter. The Supreme Court sent a formal reply with the expected decision,' Ryhor Kastusiou said.

Bear in mind that Mikalai Lazavik remarked snidely on 21December, when the leading opposition presidential candidates were in the KGB jail, ‘appeals are hardly possible’.

'Due to the provocations, in spite of warnings by the CEC and Prosecutor General, they lost the status of a politician and even the status of a law abiding citizen,' said the spokesman of the Central Election Commission.

Ryhor Kastusiou appeared on Belarusian TV on 20 December and accused 'pro-Russian' forces of organizing provocations on 19 December. He was released on a written undertaking not to leave the country. Charges in 'organizing mass riot' were not brought against him.