21.04.2008 Court to announce verdict on the “case against the 14” tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Today Centralny court of Minsk continued to consider the criminal case against the democratic youth activists charged with offence under Article 342 part 2 of the Criminal Code – “Organizing or active participation in group actions that seriously violate the public order”. The court heard the last pleas of the defendants. The verdict will be announced on April 22nd, at 11 a.m. The prosecutor demanded to sentence Andrei Kim, activist of the youth group Initsyatyva, also accused under Art. 364 of the Criminal Code (“Violence or a threat of violence towards a policeman”) to 2 years of imprisonment. He also asked to punish Aliaksei Bondar, Artsiom Dubski, and Mikhail Pashkevich with 2 years of restriction of freedom; and others – with 2.5 years of correctional labor without sending them to penitentiary institutions.

Also, on April 22nd Maskouski court of Minsk will begin trial over the leader of Vitebsk entrepreneurs Siarhei Parsiukevich.

21.04.2008 Prosecutor demands two years of imprisonment for Kim

Prosecutor demanded to punish Andrei Kim with two years of imprisonment, youth activists M. Pashkevich, A. Dubski, and A. Bondar – to 2.5 of freedom restriction (open type prison), and others –with two years of correctional work without sending them to penitentiary institutions. Lawyer of Tatsiana Tsishkevich Alexander Haliyeu filed a petition to release the girl without any punishment.