On April 27, Leninski district court of Hrodna passed a verdict in the case of 38-year-old Alyaksandr Aranovich, human rights centre Viasna reports,
In 2020, the man was linked to might-have-been presidential candidate Syarhei Tsikhanouski’s campaign ‘A Country for Living’. On the back of the authorities’ provocation targeting Tsikhanouski in late May, Aranovich was detained and then taken into custody. The Belarusian human rights community recognised him as a political prisoner.
The arrestee faced charges of ‘organising actions that grossly violated public order’ in Hrodna on May 29; he was also accused of keeping an old smoke grenade in the attic of his parents’ house in the town of Staryia Darohi, which the prosecution said was ‘preparation for participation in mass riots’.
Charged under Art. 342-1, Art. 13-2, Art. 293 of the Criminal Code, he was found guilty of committing the crimes.
“All the cases are trumped up. I was not allowed to defend myself. Someone is interested in condemning and imprisoning me!” Alyaksandr Aranovich said in his last plea.
Today judge Alena Pyatrova has sentenced the political prisoner to six years in a medium-security penal colony.
belsat.eu, following spring96.org
