Valiantsin Stefanovich: “We declare the convicts political prisoners”

The lawyer stated it in his interview to RFE/RL, commenting on the verdicts to Dzmitry Drozd, Uladzimir Khamichenka, Ales Kirkevich, Andrei Pratasenia and Pavel Vinahradau. Mr. Stefanovuch watched the whole trial of these participants of the protest action of 19 December 2010.

“There wasn't presented any evidence that a mass riot had really taken place on Nezalezhnasts Square on 19 December. The guilt of these people under Article 293, part 2 of the Criminal Code, “participation in mass riot”, wasn't proved. If we speak about each figurant of the case – it wasn't proved that Kirkevich did anything at all. I don't understand why he was sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment. Maybe it's because he is a member of the Young Front. These sentences are unlawful and must be reversed. We insist on the release of all people convicted under Article 293 and unconditionally consider them as political prisoners.

There was no mass riot on 19 December 2010 in Minsk. This case again showed the inadmissibility of the qualification of actions of these people under Article 293. There were no actions that presented danger to the public security. Maybe, some of these actions were dangerous to the public order, but not to the public security. They presented no danger to the health and life of citizens, either. That's why we, human rights defenders, surely disagree with such verdicts.”