Viktar Ivashkevich: Trial Delayed

11.12.2007. Tags: administrative trials, entrepreneurs, Belarusian Popular Front, political persecution, arrest, Ivashkevich.
Source: Charter`97.

The trial over the deputy head of the Belarusian People’s Front party Viktar Ivashkevich has started today in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk.

The politician suffering from near-sightedness was taken to the court room without glasses. As it turned out, the glasses had been seized from him by policemen of Tsentralny district.

The politician spent the night in the remand prison in Akrestsin Street. He submitted two motions to the court: to let him invite a lawyer and to oblige the police to return the glasses to him.

According to a human rights activist Uladzimir Labkovich, at first judge Bychko refused to take the motion about the glasses, saying that the lawyer was to read all materials. He agreed only after Ivashkevich’s second demand. Policemen returned to the police department to take Ivashkevich’s glasses, while the politician was placed to the so-called ‘goblet’, a tiny area in the courtroom.

Bear in mind that Ivashkevich was detained yesterday in Chyrvonaya Street in Minsk. A meeting of entrepreneurs was taking part on Kastrychitskaya Square at that moment. The politician was illegally charged with ‘petty hooliganism’ and arrested.

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