The Main Investigation Department of Belarus has completed the criminal investigation of the case against Syarhei Tsikhanouski, Mikalai Statkevich, Artsyom Sokau, Dzmitry Papou, Ihar Losik, and Uladzimir Tsyhanovich. Now the public knows the charges.
All detainees are charged with “organization of mass riots” (Part 1 Article 293 of the Criminal Code). According to this article alone, they can be punished with imprisonment of 5 to 15 years.
Mikalai Statkevich is charged only with this article. At the same time, Ihar Losik and Uladzimir Tsyhanovich are also charged with “inciting social hatred against representatives of the authorities and law-enforcing bodies” (part 3 of article 130 of the Criminal Code). Syarhei Tsikhanouski, Artsyom Sakou, and Zmitser Papou are also charged under the same article and under part 1 of article 342 of the Criminal Code (“organization of group actions that grossly violate public order”) and part 2 of article 191 of the Criminal Code (“threats to the chairman of the Central Election Commission”).
It is still unknown when the trial will take place. The Investigative Committee suggests that other details of the investigation can be found in the BT film “The Overwhelming Minority.”
All of the defendants in the case have been recognized as political prisoners. Until today, all charges against them were unknown, although Statkevich, Tsikhanouski, and Sokau were detained back in late May 2020, while the others were detained in June.
