Judgement to “Kmara” Activists Appealed :: Charter'97 :: News

Lawyer Vera Stramkouskaya on behalf of the activists of Georgian youth organization Luka Tsuladze and Giorgi Kandelaki has appealed from the judgement of the court of Moscow district of Minsk (15-days arrest) in Minsk City court. As information agency “Rosbalt” informs, the lawyer also addressed an appeal to the prosecutor of Minsk, stating that Tsuladze and Kandelaki were detained groundlessly.

The activists of the Georgian movement and a coordinator of the Belarusian movement “Zubr” Uladzimir Kobets were detained on August 24 in Minsk by people in mufti during identity check. On August 25 Belarusian KGB (State Security Committee) accused them of interference in internal affairs of Belarus. On August 27 they were to be deported from Belarus on a plane Minsk-Tbilisi. However authorities changed their plans. On August 29 the court of Moscow district of Minsk sentenced them to 15 days of administrative arrest. The court found them guilty of violation of the Article 156 of the Administrative Code (petty hooliganism). They serve the sentence in the pre-trial detention center of Minsk executive committee’s Internal Affairs Department in Akrestsyn Street in Minsk.

As we have informed, Georgia demands immediate release of its citizens. According to Georgian media, on August 30 Education and Science Minister of Georgia Alexander Lomaia and mayor of Tbilisi Giorgi Ulugava visited mothers of the detained activists of “Kmara”. They told that they hope for support of the world community for earlier release of the Georgian citizens.