10 days’ arrest for solidarity with political prisoner Dashkevich

• 10.08.2011, 10:53

The district court of Horki has sentenced a Young Front activists Raman Vasilyeu to 10 days’ administrative arrest.

Judge Viktar Yaskevich found him guilty of participation in an unsanctioned picket near the administrative building of Horki penal colony #9 on August 2, Radio Svaboda informs.

Viktar Yaskevich pleaded not guilty. Four policemen and an officer of the colony gave evidence against Yaskevich.

On August 2 the member of the Young Front and about forty more activists arrived to Horki and stood near the prison demanding a lawyer to be allowed to visit incarcerated Zmitser Dashkevich. After the denial of the authorities the activists staged a picket with a poster “Stop persecution” under the windows of the administrative building of the prison. The picket was disbanded by policemen and prison staff. 15 activists were detained.

Raman Vasilyeu is 21. He is a Minks dweller. He had been arrested for participation in silent protest rallies, and served the sentence in Minsk.

A member of the Young Front from Salihorsk Ivan Shyla and a member of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Zmitser Shurkhaj from Brest are waiting for hearings of their administrative cases in the court of Horki at large. The trial was scheduled for August 8, but they did not appear in the court of Horki then. Proceedings in their cases were postponed. On August 3 they also demanded services of lawyers to be provided.

9 detained near the prison walls are remaining in Drybin and Horki prisons. 4 of them are girls: Nasta Palazhanka, Yuliya Mikhajlava, Hanna Shkaruba, and an independent journalist Tastyana Shaputska.