Human rights defender Pavel Levinau sentenced to 15 days in jail

Human rights activist Pavel Levinau has been sentenced in absentia to 15 days of administrative detention on charges of involvement in illegal demonstrations on 25 and 26 March in Viciebsk, press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists said.

Pavel Levinau says that he really attended the protests, but did this for a completely different purpose, namely observing the assembly as a BHC monitor.

However, on March 26, he was detained and charges with two episodes under under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code.

After his detention, Levinau was admitted to hospital with a hypertensive crisis. He is now continuing his treatment in Kyiv. The activist sent a written request to the court not to consider the case in his absence. However, Judge Hrabouskaya disagreed.

The trial was not attended by a professional lawyer. Policemen, who testified against Levinau, did not appear, either.

As a result, the activist was sentenced to 15 days in jail.

Earlier, the same sentences were imposed on local human rights defenders Leanid Svetsik and Kanstantsin Mardzvintsau.