The Central Court of Homiel has sentenced 35-year-old Syarhei Dzyatsuk to three years in jail after defending his mother, who did not want to give her phone to the police, reports the human rights center Vyasna.
The police came to Valeryia Dzyatsuk’s home. She is a resident of Homiel, a former teacher at the Belarusian State University of Transport. The police came there on March 5. On February 28th, several women picketed near the village of Asautsy with WRW flags and a poster with the inscription “Protesting girls all over the world! We congratulate you on the holiday of March 8”. Valeryia allegedly participated in this picket.
The police officers wanted to take the woman’s phone, but she refused to give it. She was supported and defended by her 35-year-old son, Syarhei, who was at home at the time. Syarhei later said that the policemen took him into another room in response, where the ‘head of a department’ said that he would ‘personally deal’ with the Dzyatsuk family and that they would all “go to jail.”
The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that Syarhei Dzyatsuk reacted aggressively to the appearance of the officers, insulted them, and threatened violence. Later the man calmed down, but the materials of the inspection were sent to the investigators.
Syarhei’s mother was convicted for a photo with a WRW flag.
On March 24, Syarhei was also detained. Under article 364 of the Criminal Code, the criminal case, “Violence or threat of violence towards policemen,” was brought against him.
Before the trial, he was kept in the Homiel pre-trial detention center. The trial began on 29 June and lasted for two days.
The case was heard by judge Viktar Kazachok. He found Syarhei Dzyatsuk guilty and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony.
belsat.eu
