Two political prisoners released before trial

Vasil Babrouski and Uladzimir Navumik, both earlier charged under Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (“breaching public order”), have been released from pre-trial detention.

However, the charges have not been dropped, as they are still accused of involvement in the May 29 election picket in Hrodna. The event was staged by a well-known vlogger Siarhei Tsikhanouski and ended in his arrest and the arrest of eight more activists of his wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s presidential campaign team.

Babrouski was arrested after the picket, while Navumik was detained on May 31.

On June 9, the leading human rights organizations of Belarus called all of them political prisoners and demanded their immediate release. Later, Amnesty International called Tsikhanouski’s associates and other political prisoners of Belarus prisoners of conscience.