Aliaksei Shydlouski Sentenced to 15 Days of Jail
On 24 July the police detained the youth activists Pavel Baranouski and Aliaksei Shydlouski for posting leaflets with invitations to the European march For Freedom. The police composed a report for distribution of leaflets against Baranouski and for hooliganism – against Shydlouski.
At 10 a.m. on 25 July the activists were taken to Partyzanski court of Minsk. However, the accusation witnesses did not come to the trial. As a result the judge postponed the hearings to 8 August and released the defendants.
Later that day persons in mufti paid a visit to Shydlouski’s flat. At first they introduced themselves as representatives of housing economy and then invited him to the police. At the police station they composed on Shydlouski another report – for alleged swearing in his porch.
Mr. Shydlouski said to RFE/RL: ‘They said it was necessary to prevent my appearance at 27 July action. They came to my place two hours after I went out of the court. I only managed to wash my head. That’s how a preventive detention looks like.’
On 26 July Shydlouski was tried again. The judge of Partyzanski court Alena Tsitsiankova sentenced him to 15 days of jail under article 17.1 of the Administrative Code (petty hooliganism). Policemen Rakau and Zalatar who had detained the activist participated in the trial as accusation witnesses.
On 8 August Shydlouski will also stand another trial, on the first report.
