19 political prisoners convicted in Brest
A post-election protest in Brest. August 10, 2020. Credit: b-g.by
On November 8, the Lieninski District Court of Brest sentenced nineteen political prisoners to various terms of imprisonment over their involvement in a series of post-election protests held on August 9-10 last year.
Judge Aliaksandr Semianchuk found them all guilty of “mass rioting” (Part 2 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code).
Yauhen Pekach was sentenced to 4 years and 11 months in a medium-security penal colony;
Aliaksandr Tseleshman – 4 ½ years in a medium-security penal colony;
Mark Antonau, Iliia Veramei, Ruslan Volkau, Ihar Harchaniuk, Filip Kantsevich, Ivan Soupel, Siarhei Tratsiuk – 4 years in a medium-security penal colony each;
Artsiom Klimchuk, Viktar Kazlouski, Hleb Ramanau, Raman Sidziuk, Leu Tsialipka, Aliaksandr Tsimafeyeu, Daniil Khabavets – 3 ½ years in a medium-security penal colony each;
Pavel Mazko – 3 ½ years in a general-security penal colony.
Two more protesters were convicted of “theft” (Part 3 of Art. 205 of the Criminal Code):
Yakau Shafarenka – 5 ½ years in a medium-security penal colony;
Stanislau Filimonau – 5 years in a medium-security penal colony.
The trial was the fifth episode of a series of court hearings targeting peaceful protesters described by the authorities as “rioters”. This resulted in 46 people sentenced to prison terms.
