Last figurant of “19 December mass riot” case sentenced to three years of personal restraint

The Maskouski District Court of Minsk finished the proceedings concerning the last figurant of the 19 December case, Sviataslau Barananovich. Judge Alena Rudnitskaya found him guilty of participation in the “mass riot” and sentenced him to three years of personal restraint with direction to a penitentiary institution, though the accusation article doesn’t provide such penalty.

The punishment corresponds to the demand of prosecutor Serakou. During today’s sitting the judge questioned nine more policemen who were present in the case as victims. These nine, as well as ten their colleagues questioned on 28 September, said they didn’t remember Sviataslau and had no pretensions to him.

The trial started on 29 August. There were 30 alleged victims in the case, but only 12 of them appeared at the first court sitting. As a result, the trial was postponed to 28 September.

Sviataslau Baranovich had been kept in custody since 15 June. On 28 August the restraint was changed to a written undertaking not to leave.