On 31 May on Tuesday in Tsentralny Borough Court the opposition activists Paval Sieviaryniets and Mikola Statkievich will make their “last statement”. The verdict may be announced on this day.

27.05.2005.

Procurator Vadzim Pazniak earlier demanded three years of restricted freedom minus an amnesty year for the opposition activists Mikola Statkievich and Paval Sieviaryniets.
According Paval Sapelka, Paval Sieviaryniets’s legal representative in court, the procurator only agreed to the removal of the charges with disturbing the operation of the public catering companies, retaining the charge of public order violation.
The opposition activists are charged under Article 342 of the Penal Code of the Republic of Belarus with “organizing group actions that disturb the public order”, which may lead to three years in prison. They are accused of “pre-agreed actions conducted by a group of people”, which means that on 18 October 2004 after the elections and the republican referendum they staged mass disorders by “leading a column of demonstrators and setting an example for the other people in the procession to follow them”.

Add commentary

Comments