Aleh Volchak sentenced to 4 days of arrest
Aleh Volchak, head of the human rights center "Legal Assistance to Population"
The human rights
activist Aleh Volchak was detained outdoors on 27 January in Minsk and guarded to the Maskouski District
Police Department of Minsk.
He was charged with using obscene language in public (Article 17.1 of the Code
of Administrative Offences, “disorderly conduct”) and spent the week-end in
custody in the delinquents’ isolation center in Akrestsin Street.
At 12.50 a.m.
on 30 January the materials of his case were brought to the Tsentralny District
Court of Minsk. Mr. Volchak was guarded there somewhat later, at 1.50 p.m.
The case was considered by judge Yakunchykhin. He banned to lead the audio
recording of the trial – a journalist with a recorder was removed from the
court room. All others were warned that they could be punished for contempt of
the court for attempts to record anything on audio. Volchak denied having used
obscene language and waved his hands.
At 3 p.m. the court listened to the testimony of the deputy head of the
Tsentralny District Police Departemnt Anton Khakhlai, who stated that Aleh
Volchak had used foul language in the street.
At 3 35 p.m. the judge sentenced Mr. Volchak to 4 days of arrest.
