Alyaksandr Makaeu: “Prosecutor executes order of authorities”
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15:09, — Politics
“The reality is that we don’t have independent court today. I think everything is already solved. Both prosecutor and judge execute order of the authorities,” Alyaksandr Makaeu, one of the entrepreneurs’ leaders, said to the Charter’97 press center commenting on prosecutor’s demand on the trial of 14.
The prosecutor demanded cruel punishment for the youth activists for participation in the January protest rally.
Makaeu thinks the judge behaves so that the prosecutor has nothing to do on the trial. “Arguments of lawyer and the accused weren’t taken into account, most of their motions were denied, judge Illina’s behaviour was inconsistent with her status. She could have pretended the court is impartial, but she didn’t even produce appearance. It only proves the trial of 14 is clearly political,” the entrepreneur tells.
According to him, no proof of guilty sounded on the trial, so the prosecutor’s demand wasn’t maximal. “Taking into account such “proof,” the judgement should be acquitting, but in my view, it will be milder. In particular, the time, Andrei Kim has spent behind the bars, would be included into his term, and the others would be fined, it will be the victory,” the entrepreneur thinks.
Makaeu emphasised the trial of 14 has no precedents in the modern Belarusian history. The judgement will show the way the present authorities are moving: to total isolation and totalitarianism or to democratisations and developing of relations with civilised countries.
The trial of 14 lasts for the forth day in the Tsentralny district court of Minsk. Prosecutor Ramasheuski demanded 2 years of imprisonment for Andrei Kim, 2.5 years of restriction of liberty for M. Pashkevich, A. Dubski, and A. Bondar, and 2 years of correctional works on place of employment for the rest of the accused.
The rally of entrepreneurs was organised in the Minsk center on 10 January against presidential decree No 760. It was attended by from three to five thousand people. Dozens of them were detained and beaten up.
14 people were brought accusations of participation in riot. They are Alyaksandr Barazenka, Alyaksei Bondar, Paval Vinahradau, Maksim Dashuk, Artsyom Dubski, Andrei Kim, Anton Koipish, Mikhas Kryvau, Mikhas Pashkevich, Ales Straltsou, Mikhas Subach, Uladzmir Sayrheeu, Ales Charnyshou, and Tatsyana Tsishkevich.
Alyaksandr Barazenka, Paval Vinahradau, Mikhas Subach, and minor Maksim Dashuk, will have trial later. They didn’t have enough time to learn the material of the criminal case, so the trial was postponed sine die.
