Prosecutor Demands to Sentence Astrejka to 3 Years in Prison, Dranchuk, Branitskaya and Shalajka to 2 Years :: Charter'97 :: News

Prosecutor Andrei Migun has demanded to sentence the leader of the civil initiative of elections observation Partnterstva, Mikalay Astrejka, to 3 years of imprisonment; Partnerstva activists Tsimafei Dranchuk, Enira Branitskaya and Alyaksandr Shalajka to 2 years of imprisonment. The public activists were detained in the run-up to the presidential elections, on February 21, and stayed in custody since than. They are charged with running an illegal organization which had not been registered by the state that “encroaches” on people’s rights. Under that article the accused could be sentenced to a term of from six months up to three years in prison. As we see, the prosecutor has demanded the harshest sentence under that article.

It’s a closed trial, neither journalists nor foreign diplomats have been allowed to attend the court. Even family members have not been allowed to be present.

Human rights activists and international structures have called this trial politically motivated.

The trial is to continue tomorrow at 10 a.m.