Opposition Leaders Tried For Protest Actions During Referendum :: Charter'97 :: News

Paval Sevyarynets and Mikalay Statkevich are to stand trial for organizing street actions. The criminal action against the leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Narodnaya Hramada), coordinator of the European coalition Mikola Statkevich, and one of the leaders of the Young Front Paval Sevyarynets were forwarded to the court of Lenin district of Minsk. They are accused of organizing mass street actions of citizens on October 18 and 19. The protest was aimed against rigged elections and referendum.

The leader of the Social Democrats Mikola Statkevich refused the service of a lawyer. He told to the Radio Svaboda that he would not give evidence in the court and be present at the questioning of witnesses. As said by him, the criminal action is entirely political, aimed at neutralization of activists of street demonstrations. That is why the verdict would be dictated by authorities, M. Statkevich believes.

“I am sure that it is connected with the intention of the Social Democratic party and the European coalition to nominate me as a candidate for presidency,” Mikola Statkevich told.

Paval Sevyatynets, the Young Front activist, is now in Vitsebsk under a written undertaking not to leave the place. For a week he cannot get the prosecutor’s office agreement to go to Minsk to meet his lawyer. However according to the code of criminal procedure, the necessary number of meetings with his lawyer is to be guaranteed to him.

“There was nothing illegal in the actions of people on April 18 and 19. The order was aimed at suppressing the people who could organize political protests. I am getting ready for the worst, for imprisonment,” told Paval Sevyarynets to Radio Svaboda.

It is not the first criminal case for Mikola Statkevich and Paval Sevyarynets. In 1998 Paval Sevyarynets was accused of hooliganism for interrupting a concert on April 2, dedicated to the day of Belarus and Russia’s unification. The action was terminated in 1999 with the wording “because of the change of political situation”. In 2000 Mikola Statkevich was punished by two years of imprisonment with respite of punishment for an active participation in the first “Freedom March”. After reconsideration of the case he was sentenced to a fine. Having a criminal record, the leader of Social Democrats has lost possibility to take part in the election campaign as candidate.

The trial over Mikola Statkevich and Paval Sevyarynets will probably start in the end of April.