Supreme Court turned down Ryhor Kastusiou's appeal against results of presidential election
On 3 January the former presidential candidate
representing the BPF party filed an appeal to the Supreme Court enlisting
violations during the electoral campaign and asking to re-consider the election
results, announced by the Central Election Commission (CEC).
On 11 January Ryhor Kastusiou received a written reply from the Supreme Court.
The letter says the claim had been studied by judge Zhukouskaya, who had decided
not to bring a case as 'there are no grounds for this'.
'Of course, I expected such a decision. The CEC spokesman Mikalai Lazavik had
said this even before my appeal was considered. I haven't learned anything new
from the letter. The Supreme Court sent a formal reply with the expected
decision,' Ryhor Kastusiou said.
Bear in mind that Mikalai Lazavik remarked snidely on 21December, when the
leading opposition presidential candidates were in the KGB jail, ‘appeals are
hardly possible’.
'Due to the provocations, in spite of warnings by the CEC and Prosecutor
General, they lost the status of a politician and even the status of a law
abiding citizen,' said the spokesman of the Central Election Commission.
Ryhor Kastusiou appeared on Belarusian TV on 20 December and accused
'pro-Russian' forces of organizing provocations on 19 December. He was released
on a written undertaking not to leave the country. Charges in 'organizing mass
riot' were not brought against him.
