Tell the Truth activists sentenced to short prison terms

Pavel Vinahradau and Aliaksandr Artsybashau, activists of the Tell the Truth civil campaign, have been sentenced today to 5 and 3 days of administrative arrest, respectively, on charges using foul language on 7 September.

Aliaksandr Artsybashau was released in the courtroom, as he had spent three days in the detention center.

Pavel Vinahradau was expected to be tried shortly after his detention on 7 September. However, Minsk Maskouski District Court was not able to consider the case, after it turned out that the police reports contained certain irregularities, and ordered review of the charges.

As a result, the activist of Tell the Truth’s youth wing Zmena will have to spend two more days in prison, despite the fact that one of the policemen who testified in court said he was not involved in Pavel’s arrest.