Vitsebsk CCP-BPF activist sentenced to 7 days of arrest over picketing
Yan Dziarzhautsau, Vitsebsk activist of the Conservative Christian Party “Belarusian Popular Front”.
The Pershamaiski District Court of Vitsebsk considered today the case of a member of the Conservative Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front Yan Dziarzhautsau charged with participating in an unauthorized mass event on March 22. On March 25, he was detained by police when he was returning from Freedom Day celebrations. The night before the trial he was held in temporary detention.
The charges stemmed from a picket Yan Dziarzhautsau and Alena Kavalenka staged on the eve of the main voting day to campaign for an election boycott. They were displaying posters "Boycott Electoral Farce". Today, Alena Kavalenka was expected to appear at the police department.
According to local human rights activist Leanid Svetsik, during the trial on March 26, Judge Natallia Karablina rejected all of the requests by the defendant, namely not allowing an interpreter and not listening to the activist’s witnesses. She also refused to allow the involvement of Yan Dziarzhautsau representative, Piotr Ivanou.
As a result, Yan Dziarzhautsau was sentenced to 7 days of arrest under Art. 23.34 of the Administrative Code (participation in an unauthorized mass event).
