Hrodna Region Court turns down Ales Pushkin's appeal

On 2 October the Hrodna Region Court considered the appeal of artist Ales Pushkin against the verdict of the Smarhon District Court by which he had been sentenced to ten days of arrest.

The Smarhon court sentenced him to five days of arrest for the alleged organization of an artistic performance in honor of the Belarusian patriot Rastsislau Lapitski who had been killed by NKVD, and five more days – for “insubordination to the police”.

The trial at the Hrodna Region Court was led by Judge Vasil Skok, in the Belarusian language.

In his appeal Ales Pushkin argued that the Smarhon police had violated the law “On organs of internal affairs” and the Law “On Languages”. According to him, the police didn't tell him that he was detained and refused to express their demands in Belarusian. The verdict was announced only in the Russian language and there were process mistake in the administrative offense reports drawn up by the police.

Mr. Pushkin is to be released from jail on 3 October.