Ex-presidential candidates charged with organizing mass riots on Election Day

Ex-presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich yesterday was charged with staging actions that led to mass riots on December 19, Statkevich's lawyer Tatsiana Stankevich told Euroradio. Similar charges were presented to six other presidential contenders: Aliaksei Mikhalevich, Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Vital Rymasheuski and Andrei Sannikau who are being held in a KGB pre-trial prison. Rygor Kastusyou and Dzmitry Uss were also charged, but they were released after signing a statement not to leave the country.

Lawyers also confirmed that Pavel Seviarynets, an aide to ex-presidential candidate Vital Rumasheuski, and Iryna Khalip, the wife of Andrei Sannikov and journalist with Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, were also charged, reports Belapan

The same charges were also presented to Youth Front deputy chairperson Anastasia Palazhanka and Andrei Sannikov's spokespersn Aliaksandr Atroshchankau.

The charged persons will remain in pretrial detention for two months in the course of investigation.