Tsimafei Dranchuk to be Released Earlier

14.12.2006.

The supervising committee of Minsk Frunzenski borough executive committee has decided on a conditional early release of a campaign for elections observation Partnership Tsimafei Dranchuk. The date of release is to be announced on 22 December, when the court of Frunzenski borough of Minsk would study the case.

Tsimafei Dranchuk and three more activists of Partnership were detained on 21 February. In August the court of Tsentralny borough of Minsk found them guilty of violation of Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code (participation in unregistered public association). A number of charges against Partnership activists pronounced by highest officials in the run-up to the presidential elections (flawed results of exit-polls, preparations for terrorist attacks and so on) haven’t been confirmed during the investigation or in the court. As a result, Mikalai Astreika was sentenced to two years of imprisonment, Tsimafei Dranchuk – to one year of imprisonment, Enira Branitskaia and Aliaksandr Shalaika – to 6 month of arrest. Branitskaia and Shalaika were released on 21 August. On 21 November M.Astreika was released from the colony in Shklou. His sentence was replaced by corrective labor. Thus Tsimafei Dranchuk remained the only prisoner.

One should also note that Dranchuk was entered to the list of persons for whom a conditional early release is possible. The list was considered by a commission on 30 November. However he was stricken off the list at the last moment.