Participants of the solidarity demonstration with imprisoned leader of the young Fron, Zmitser Dashkievich, were tried in Dybna and Horki yesterday. The sentences varied from 5 to 17 days of detention. Three hearings were postponed until August 8th and 9th, since the suspects demanded that their lawyers are present in court.
On August 2nd, in front of the entrance to a prison camp in Horki, where Dashkievich is serving time, around 40 people gathered – activists of the Young Front, Belarusian Christian Democratic Party, opposition leaders, friends and family of the political prisoner. They demanded that Dashkievich is allowed to see his lawyer. The demonstration was brutally dispersed by the police, 14 people were arrested.
Initially, the trial was supposed to be held in Horki, but due to Lukashenka’s visit to that town, majority of the arrested protesters were tried in Dybna court.
Among detainees is an independent journalist Tatian Shaputska, who attempted to prove in court that she was at the demonstration for the work-related reasons. The court admitted her evidence, but still sentenced her to 10 days in arrest. The same penalty was decided for Nasta Palazanka, a deputy chairwomen of the Young Front, and privately – Dashkievich‘ life partner. Another deputy chairman of the Young Front, Mikola Dzamidzenka was sentenced to 17 days of detention. Other people convicted of participating in an illegal rally and disobeying police orders, received sentences varying between 5 and 17 days in prison.
Belsat
