Maskouski District Court of Minsk: Dzmitry Miadzvedz
9.55 a.m. – photo and video correspondents are required to leave the court
hall.
10.10 – Judge Alena Rudnitskaya and prosecutor Mazouka are still absent.
10.13 – the Minsk
entrepreneur Dzmitry Miadzvedz is taken to the Maskouski District Court. Making
photos and videos is banned. Miadzvedz’s interests are represented by attorney
Siarhei Lepesh.
10.40 – the prosecutor accuses Dzmitry Miadzvedz of armed resistance and
violent actions towards several policemen, saying the defendant had been trying
to break a cordon by kicking the police. The court attaches the testimonies of
about ten police victims to the case.
10.50 – 20-minute break in connection with reformulation of the charges to Mr. Miadzvedz
is announced. He is still charged under Article 293, part 2, but the new formulation
contains more details.
…
The judge announced a break in the trial till 10 March so that the accused and
his defense could familiarize with the new charges, in which more than 10
policemen injured during the protest action are mentioned. It is also alleged
that other participants of the demonstration were armed with metallic bars and
bottles. Human rights defenders believe that, seeing the case falling apart
during the previous trials, the procuracy is trying to strengthen its positions
with ‘armed resistance’ and ‘police victims’.
