“Process of the Fourteen”: new political prisoner

28.10.2008. Tags: political prisoners, criminal persecution.

On Monday, October 27th, youth activist Alexander Barazenka was put in Valadarskaha detention center. The young man is one of the figures in the criminal case for the entrepreneurs’ rally on January 10th.

Let us remind you, the case received an unofficial name of the “Process of the Fourteen”. However, only thirteen people appeared in the dock. Student of Wroclaw University Alexander Barazenka decided to stay in Poland and not to come for the trial. The defendents in the case received different terms of restriction of freedom without sending to jail, and fines. Andrei Kim received 1.5 years of jail.

Today the majority of them live practically in the conditions of a house arrest. Some of them, like Tatsiana Tsishkevich, Alaksei Bondar, and Artsiom Dubski, decided to leave Belarus.

Nasha Niva reports, Alexander Barazenka spent some time in Belarus. He could not return to his studies in Poland, because the Russians updated their version of the Belarusian database of people who were prohibited to leave. The guy was allegedly even taken off the train.

On October 27th Alexander Barazenka, accompanied by lawyer Pavel Sapelka, visisted investigator Mikhalski. The investigator presented him with a ruling about the arrest which was written in May.

“Barazenka will stay in the detention center until the trial, if the measure of restriction is not changed.” I will send the appeal to the prosecutor’s office as soon as possible“, -- P. Sapelka says.

It is still difficult to say when the trial takes place. We only know that the hearing will be carried out by Centralny court of Minsk.

Let us remind you, on April 23rd ten people were tried under criminal charges for participation in the entrepreneurs’ rally. Several people were punished under Article 342 part 1 of the Criminal Code (organization and active participation in group actions that seriously violate public order) with restriction of freedom. They serve the term at their place of residence.