“All cases are trumped up!” Aliaksandr Aranovich sentenced to six years in prison

The Lieninski District Court of Hrodna handed down a verdict in a criminal case against Aliaksandr Aranovich, a 38-year-old political prisoner affiliated with Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s campaign “Country for Living”.

Judge Alena Piatrova found Aranovich guilty of committing crimes under Part 1 of Art. 342 and Part 2 of Art. 13, Art. 293 of the Criminal Code and sentenced the defendant to six years in a medium-security penal colony.

“All the cases are trumped up. I was not allowed to defend myself. Everyone is interested in condemning and imprisoning me!” Aranovich said in his last statement.

Aliaksandr Aranovich faced charges of organizing actions that grossly violated public order in Hrodna on May 29. He was also accused of keeping an old smoke grenade in the attic of his parents’ house in Staryja Darohi, which the prosecution said was “preparation for participation in mass riots.”

The man was detained on May 29 last year and has been in pre-trial detention since then.

The human rights community of Belarus called Aliaksandr Aranovich a political prisoner.