Mother of dead inmate to be tried

Human rights activist Andrei Bandarenka and the mother of Ihar Ptichkin, who died in a detention facility, will be tried today.

BelaPAN news agency learnt it from Alena Krasouskaya-Kasperovich, the deputy director of the educational organisation “Platform Innovation”.

They were detained yesterday evening and taken to the Maskouski district court in Minsk. The reason for the detention is unknown.

“The hearing was postponed, because Zhanna Ptichkina's lawyer came to the court, but Andrei Bandarenka's lawyer was unable to come. The trial was postponed,” Krasouskaya-Kasperovich said.

The trial against Ptichkina and Bandarenka starts at 15:15 in Minsk's Maskouski district court, according to her.

Minsk resident Ihar Ptichkin died on his fourth day in detention facility No. 1 on August 4, 2013.

The Maskouski district department of the Investigation Committee carries out an inquiry into Ihar Ptichkin's death. On September 4, the period of the inquiry was extended until November 4, 2013. Ihar's family don't know the official cause of his death. According to one of the versions, Ihar Ptichkin was beaten by a riot control group.