Verdict to Belarusian Opposition Leaders Remains the Same :: Charter'97 :: News

Minsk city court upheld the verdict to chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada), coordinator of the European coalition Mikola Statkevich, and one of the leaders of “Young Front” Paval Sevyarynets. The cassation appeal was filed to the verdict of the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk. On May 31 the court sentenced the oppositional politicians Paval Sevyarynets and Mikola Statkevich to three years of imprisonment for organizing a protest action on October 18-19, 2004 mass protest actions against rigged results of elections and referendum. After an amnesty the term was shortened for a year. “This case is a political order, and the order is being fulfilled step by step. But I can promise that judges in Belarus, delivering politically motivated verdicts, would hardly be able to go to Schengen states,” Paval Sevyarynets told to Charter’97 press center after the court.

At present Sevyarynets and Statkevich are under a written undertaking not to leave the place. In a few days they are to be transferred to corrective labour facilities.

“We are going to pass all court in Belarus, even though after the first cassation appeal we are sent to serve the sentence. After all appellate courts we are going to address the European Court on Human Rights,” Sevyarynets told.