Hooliganism trial in Brest

On 17 October Leninski borough court judge Piotr Babrouski announced the beginning of hearings of the case of 19 so-called ‘hooligans’ which have served various terms for disorderly conduct. 

Only six of them appeared in court: Raman Kisliak, Uladzimir Vialichkin, Ryhor Bakievich, Valiantsin Lazarenkau, Siarhei Vakulenka and Dzianis Turchaniak. The others either entrusted Kisliak to represent them or agreed to conduct the trial without them.

In the summer of 2008 the 19 activists applied for conducting a demonstration in one of Brest central streets. However, town vice-mayor Viachaslau Khafizau replied that the action would not take place since the only site allocated for mass actions is a stadium situated on the outskirts of Brest. At the same time, he said that the stadium is no place for demonstrations.

Iryna Barysiuk, lawyer of Brest town executive committee, says that the decision taken by a separate official was not collective.

Human rights activist Vialichkin is sure that the position of the authorities is a lame attempt to wriggle off the difficulty.