Minsk resident sentenced to 25 days for supporting political prisoners

The activist was arrested for solidarity with those who had been detained preventively ahead of the Ice Hockey World Championship.

The case of activist Aleh Kerul was heard by the Pershamaiski district court in Minsk. He was sentenced to 25 days in custody, Viasna human rights centre reports.

Judge Yury Harbatouski sent the case back for review on May 14. Witnesses, police officers Zharski and Byk, gave controversial evidence during the first trial.

Aleh Kerul was released in the court. He went to the Pershamaiski district police station to take his belongings, but policemen detained him again. They told Kerul's friend Dzmitry that they would rework the materials of the case meanwhile. Under law, Aleh Kerul was to remain at liberty until a new trial.

Aleh was detained on May 13 near the National Library in Minsk as he was posting stickers expressing solidarity with the activists, who had been detained ahead of the ice hockey championship.

Eight political prisoners, including former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich and vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights Ales Bialiatski, serve long jail sentences. Scores of opposition activists have been detained in the last two weeks. Human rights defenders explain the arrests by the Ice Hockey World Championship in Minsk.

Photo: Radio Svaboda