Opposition activist Zmitser Dashkevich sentenced to three days in jail

The Saviecki District Court of Minsk sentenced yesterday Zmitser Dashkevich, leader of the Young Front opposition group, to three days in jail.

Dashkevich was charged with five separate offenses, including disorderly conduct (Article 17.1 of the Administrative Code) in an episode that took place on February 24 during the protest staged to protect the Kurapaty memorial site. The activist reportedly climbed onto a tractor, thus showing “lack of respect to the public.”

He was also accused of being involved in two “illegal pickets” on 20 and 24 February (Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code), which in fact were parts of the above multi-day protest.

Charges under Article 23.4 of the Administrative Code (“resisting arrest”) stemmed from a police report, which claimed that during his arrest on March 10 Dashkevich allegedly did not obey orders from police officers, “waving his arms, sitting down on the ground and shouting.”

Zmitser Dashkevich was detained by police officers in plain clothes shortly after leaving his apartment yesterday afternoon.