18 months in jail: Vitsebsk paramedic convicted for hitting police vehicle. She wanted to help protester
Health worker Yuliya Kashaverava has been sentenced to 1 year and 6 months of imprisonment in a minimum-security penal colony, human rights centre Viasna reports.
On February 23, the verdict was announced by Syarhei Budrevich, a judge of Kastrychnitski district court of Vitsebsk.
The 22-year-old resident of Vitsebsk worked as a nurse at the 103rd separate mobile military brigade. During a peaceful protest rally in early October, she ripped off the mask and cap off of riot police commander Alyaksei Alkhimovich. Kashaverava, who has been behind bars for about five months, was also accused of throwing several blows at a riot police minivan.
A criminal case under Art. 339-2 of the Criminal Code (‘malicious hooliganism’) was initiated against her. The public prosecutor demanded Yuliya get a six-year term in jail.
In court, the defendant said that she just wanted to provide medical assistance to a protester who fell on the ground while escaping from the riot police. The girl repeatedly tried to approach the man, and then the police used gas. Then there was no one else on the ground – the unknown man disappeared. According to her, after failing to help him, she ‘became too emotional and kicked the vehicle’.
