Court orders psychiatric examination of Kavalenka

The regional court was to hear the appeal against the decision of the Pershamaiski district court of Vitebsk today.

The hearing was postponed until obtaining a medical opinion on the psychological state of political prisoner Siarhei Kavalenka, “Salidarnast” reports.

Human rights activist Siarhei Sys wrote on his Facebook account the judicial board appointed a comprehensive psychiatric examination in Navinki hospital for Siarhei Kavalenka.

Hearing of the appeal against the Pershamaiski district court decision was suspended. The court was presented a preliminary medical opinion saying Kavalenka has a mental disorder expressed among other things in refusal to accept food.

“The medical examination is to answer the following questions: if Kavalenka suffered from a mental disease when he was committing a criminal offense on January 7, 2010; if he could have realized all his actions at this time; if he suffers from a mental disorder now; if he needs compulsory treatment; if he has individual peculiarities of his mental state.”

We remind on 10 April the Vitebsk region court was to hear the appeal against the verdict against Siarhei Kavalenka, who was given three years' suspended sentence last year.  He was punished for hanging out a national white-red-white flag on city's Christmas Tree. Protesting, the activist of the CCP-BPF party went on hunger strike, during which he lost half his body weight.