Belarusian books distributor sentenced to one year of restricted freedom

The sentence against Ales Yaudakho was pronounced in the Kastrychnitski district court of Minsk on Tuesday.

Accused of illegal business practices on a large scale, he was sentenced to one year of restricted freedom without imprisonment and obliged to pay 57 million rubles for the “inflicted damage”, Euroradio reports.

As charter97org website reported earlier, he sent books by famous Belarusian writers to different cities by mail: Vasil Bykau, Uladzimir Arlou, Mikola Yermalovich, Ryhor Baradulin. It was interpreted by prosecutors as illegal business. The court proceedings started last year and were suspended in November in connection with carrying out expert examination of the case materials. The trial was resumed in June. About 30 people were interrogated (they had planned to interrogate 230) and previous statements of about 80 people have been read out.