Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s associate Volha Kavalkova and strike movement activist Syarhei Dyleuski have been tried via videoconference in Zavadski district court of Minsk on August, 25. The both are members of the board of Coordination Council (CC).
On Monday morning, Kavalkova and Dyleuski were detained by riot policemen at the entrance to the Minsk Tractor Plant, placed in a paddy wagon and driven away in an unknown direction. Later, it became known that they were taken to the notorious detention centre in Akrestsin Street.
The activists were charged with ‘staging an unauthorised event’ (Art.23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences). According to the official version, Kavalkova and Dyleuski called on people to go on strike. They got 10-day prison term each; the verdicts were passed by judges Dzmitry Astapenka and Alena Kaptsevich.
As reported earlier, Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s strongest rival Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya initiated the creation of the CC as part of taking urgent measures to restore law and order in Belarus as well as to ensure the transfer of power in the country. At the moment, the Council comprises 600 members. Last week, Belarus’ Prosecutor General opened a criminal case over establishing the Council, naming it a ‘threat to national security’. Its members may face charges of attempts to seize power in Belarus. Several board members, including former minister Pavel Latushka and Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich, were summoned to the prosecutor’s office for questioning.
Belsat.eu
