Aliaksandr Kruty to be tried again on 19 March

Aliaksandr Kruty, the father of a victim of the 11 April blast in the Minsk metro, actively participated in the trial of the alleged perpetrators of the terrorist act, Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavaliou, the both of whom were sentenced to death and are waiting to be executed.

During the trial, Mr. Kruty, who represented the interests of his daughter, asked inconvenient questions to the court and also called on the Republic of Belarus to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty.

On 20 September Aliaksandr Kruty was detained by Minsk police and charged with hooliganism. On 22 September, Judge Fedartsou read charges to Mr. Kruty at the trial of Kanavalau and Kavaliou: "On 17 August, he intentionally committed hooligan actions with especial cynicism and disrespect to public morals during his stay in a medical institution of Minsk", which manifested in spilling two jars of urine on the head of the chief medic. Mr. Kruty was directed to psychiatric hospital "Navinki" on prosecutor's order.

On 7 December 2011 Aliaksandr Kostrykau, Judge of the Maskouski District Court of Minsk considered the charges against Aliaksandr Kruty under Article 339, part 1 of the Criminal Code, "hooliganism", declared the defendant legally incapable within the framework of closed court proceedings and directed him for forced medical treatment.

The repeated trial on Kruty's case will take place on 19 March at the Maskouski District Court. The case will be considered by Judge Yauhen Khatkevich.