Former presidential candidate Sannikau jailed for five years

Andrej Sannikau has been sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment in a reinforced security colony, Aleh Hnedchyk - to 3,5 years, Fiodar Mirzayanau, Uladzimir Yaromenak and Ilya Vasilevich - 3 years of the same.

May 14

The court has resolved that Sannikau was a leader of "mass disturbances": he "prepared the events, planned them and informed the citizens about the results of the allegedly conducted exit-polls... After that he led the crowd of several thousand people to the House of Government, together with Statkevich. Activity of several enterprises was blocked."

The judge was reading the final part of the sentence for more than an hour.

All the others were accused of partcicipation in mass disturbances.

The trial lasted for 10 days.

16.00 Several dozens people came to the sentence announcement: relatives, diplomats, human rights defenders, journalists. Fiodar Mirzayanau's mother was not let in, Radio "Liberty" informs.

May 13

14.18 The court’s decision will be pronounced at 4 p.m. on May 14.


14.15 Radio Liberty quotes Sannikau’s last plea: “I consider the events of December 19 a sign of the authorities’ fear of inevitable changes. It is revenge for courage and openness."


"In my case it is also political violence aimed at the presidential candidate who created real competition and was ready to take the responsibility for the country. I remain an adherent of changes in the country, but no violence should be used for it." 


"Everything that is happening is a provocation elaborated by the authorities. Lukashenka’s promises to deal with everyone after the election prove it. The case papers do not contain a single proof of mass disorders although my line has been tapped since the summer of 2010”.

 

14.12 Yaromenak’s last plea: “One and the same person has been ruling Belarus for 16 years. The Belarusian language has been being eliminated for 16 years already. There has been no freedom of speech for 16 years. That is why I went to the Square."


"Any regime comes to an end one day, and the Belarusian regime is not an exception. I do not regret my participation in the Square. Long live Belarus!”

12.49 Radio Liberty quotes Vasilevich’s last plea: “I did not join a crowd of hooligans. I joined Belarusian electors. There was no real resistance to the authorities; I did not do anything to enter the House of the Government. I did not destroy anything. I only removed a piece of glass. I did not break the door. The crowd did not turn into a common destructive force, as it was stated in the indictment."

12.46 The defendants are making their last pleas, reports Radio Liberty.

Mirzayanau claims that it is his personal tragedy, he does not believe in truth and in rule of law in Beelarus: “I went to the Square on December 19 to demand justice and economic growth in our country. I wanted to support my candidate, Ramanchuk. But it turned out that I could not express my opinion in my own country. I witnessed a rude dispersal of the manifestation and I saw peaceful people beaten." 

"They demanded some strange evidence from me on December 25, I refused. Then they arrested me. I thought that the prosecutor would find out the truth… I am asking the court for only one thing: to pronounce a fair sentence."

 

12:25 Sannikau’s other lawyer, Varashevich, is speaking. He is sure that the fact of mass disorders has not been proved. There is no information about the number of people that took part in the mass disorders in the case papers. It is impossible to claim that all demonstrators participated in the mass disorders.

 

12:14 Sannikau’s lawyer Kavaleuskaya is speaking, reports nn.by. She is going over his biography. An A-student of the Linguistic Institute, a diplomat and deputy Foreign Mistier. Resigned in protest of the constitutional referendum in 2006. A professional, a decent and respected person who obeys the law and respects the state institutions. His family has been put is terrible moral conditions and is intimidated now.


A person whose qualification and authority could be used for the good of Belarus is standing trial today.


The present are applauding.

 

11.36 Hnedchyk’s lawyer Ivanova is speaking, informs Radio Liberty. She draws attention to discrepancies in the case papers.


A few napkins and a bottle were found during the first examination of the square and all the jerricans, axes and reinforcements were found during the third examination. There is no reason to believe that the objects were there during the manifestation.


11:41 Yaromenak’s lawyer Mushynskaya is speaking. She says that Yaromenak threw away the two crow bars before December 19 which proves that he was not going to take part in any mass disorders.


Mushynskaya thinks that nobody organized arsons or pogroms. People in the crowd did not have ice-axes or axes, reports nn.by.

11.07 Vasilevich’s lawyer – Belaya – is making a speech. She is also sure that the court has not proved Vasilevich’s participation in mass disorders.

Analyzing the evidence presented in court, the lawyer has claimed that Dec.19 events cannot be considered mass disorders, notes Radio Liberty. A small group broke the panes in the House of the Government, there were about 5 of them and the other dozens of thousands did not do anything like that. There were no mass disorders or riots.


If the whole crowd had started beating the panes, all of them would have been broken and the police would have been defeated.

 
10.56 Laywer Haliyeu is making a speech. He is sure that the components of the crime “mass disorders” have not been proved – there were no arsons, pogroms or armed resistance to the police. No proof has been found. Instead, the injured members of special police troops were involved in unjustified violence.

10.51 According to Radio Liberty, the prosecutor has demanded the following sentences:


Andrei Sannikau — 7 years of imprisonment in a top-security colony,

Illya Vasilevich — 3 years in a top-security colony,

Aleh Hnedchyk — 4 years in a top-security colony,

Fyodar Mіrzayanau — 3 years in a top-security colony,

Uladzimir Yaromenak — 3 years in a top-security colony.


In particular, the prosecutor has noted: Yaromnak has pled guilty and confirmed that he bought two crow bars before the Square; Hnedchyk has pled practically guilty and confessed that he made about 3 hits. Vasilevich has plead not guilty; Mirzayanau has plead not guilty, Sannikau has plead not guilty but admitted that he urged people to come to the Square during his election campaign, demanded negotiations, approached the House of the Government and urged citizens to ignore provocations.


10.03 The trial has been resumed. The prosecuting official has made a speech and repeated the accusation in brief: Sannikau directed the mass disorders, urged to come to the Square and claimed that the election was undemocratic, informs Radio Liberty.


"Continuing his evil deeds”, he knowingly distributed “false” information about the illegitimacy of the current authorities and his actions were aimed at seizing the governmental building.

May 12 

16.26 

Sannikau has told about tortures in the KGB prison:

"A "stretch-out". They could keep me in a cold room for a long time, they made me do sit-ups although I had told them my leg was injured. This did not work on them. Then they allowed me to get dressed. People in masks were shouting with inhuman voices, banging against the walls during all this. I was deprived from the right for correspondence for a month. I got no letters from my family. 

Well-trained people in masks rendered psychological pressure, shouted and banged beat me in the legs.

They convoyed me in handcuffs all the time. They demonstrated brutal treatment. I am making this statement now because the public prosecutor has questions with regard to my evidence at the interrogations. I wrote about tortures in the KGB prison and I paid for this.

I was lying under the plank bed, in a condition close to an animal's, feeling bad, my leg injured".

Sannikau says that when the accusation against him was presented, he found out that his wife was in a cell nearby. He found out that they had tried to kidnap his son: "They told me that if I wanted to help my wife I was supposed to give the "right" evidence. There was a forcible conversation between myself and the KGB head Zaitsau, who threatened life and health of my child and my wife. When I refused to confirm the lies that they suggested, Zaitsau told me they would take more brutal measures against my wife and my child. I was confused as a person at such a position should not speak as a criminal. I took his words seriously and realized that my wife's and son's lives depend on me, as my wife was in the same prison".

According to Sannikau, a detective officer Fiatsisau informed how he was supposed to speak about certain topics: "They had a detailed plan of my interrogation and warned that they would not accept references to the Constitution that I refuse from giving evidence.

My liver started hurting severely before the first interrogation. I was afraid I would be unable to give evidence which would help my wife. They refused me in legal assistance".

The lawyer performed the role of a dummy at the interrogations. They prohibited even to look at the lawyer. I felt bad at all the interrogations, but I did not refuse to give evidence. There was psychological and physical pressure during all the interrogations.

That is why I am making this statement and claim that the evidence which I gave at the interrogations is not totally true.

They put me in a cell when I was brutally beaten. They did not let me go to the toilet. They put me in a cell with no free space, although my leg was injured. It was cold. They ordered me to lie my face to daylight. When I turned around, they ordered me to return to the same pose.

15.00 Public prosecutor starts reading out Sannikau's tapped conversations. The politician strictly objects.

The judge has decided to study the materials in a closed regime, because Sannikau "objects" and in the interests of secrecy, Radio Liberty informs. 

14.10 Trial has been resumed after the break. Sannikau asked the judge to take into account his health problems - he cannot work in such intense regime, especially after 5 p.m. According to Radio Liberty, Sannikau said that he did not want to file a corresponding appeal just called on the court's humanism. Public prosecutor is reading the quotes of Sannikau, Statkevich, Us, Rymasheuski and others in yet another video. 

12.00 The court declined the defense's appeal to conduct an expertise of the video on the CD in order to find out whether there was cutting, and how many people actually filmed it.

11.40 Representative of the Belarusian MFA, who was at the trial, left and forgot his cell phone on the bench. A human rights defender Alena Tankachova noticed that and asked the police to take it away, and they did it, Radio Liberty informs.

10.58 Watching of video materials goes on. A column is moving along the Independence Ave.  

The judge asks to clarify the reasons for moving from the Kastrychnitskaya Square to the Independence Square.

Sannikau says that there was not a single plan, candidates declared different approaches and scenarios. The main motivation for moving was the will of the Square participants. The factors which influenced this were impossibility to keep such a big number of people in the Kastrychnitskaya Square, as the skating rink worked and the police took no measures to provide security. Another factor was a loud disco dancing in the square. The third one - people who approached the Square from the Engels Street side, saw the Square was overcrowded and went to the Independence square. Absence of security was the main motivation, Radio Liberty informs.

Sannikau says there was information that a big number of riot policemen were waiting in the Trade Unions' Palace of Culture, ready to start dispersal of the peaceful action.

10.15 Trial has been resumed, the court is watching video materials, Radio Liberty informs.

In the video: Khalip is talking to traffic policemen. Sannikau says: let's go to the House of Government to negotiate. Sannikau is standing on the porch of the House of Government, silent. Sannikau and Khalip approach the House of Government. When he goes up on the porch, sound of broken glass is heard. 

Lawyer Varvashevich demands to watch the whole video, not just extracts, the judge agrees, nn.by reports.

May 11

17.28 The hearing will be resumed at 10 a.m. on May 12.


Sannikau has claimed that he needs medical assistance – he has complained about exacerbation of gout. He has also informed that he asked for medical assistance earlier but his request was declined, informs Radio Liberty.

16.58 Sannikau has asked to announce a break because he feels bad. The judge has claimed that she will consider the request during the demonstration of video materials, informs Radio Liberty. Videos including those made in the Square are being demonstrated.

15.50 The material evidence presented by the prosecutor is being studied: the victory strategy, its realization and budget. Sannikau says that he has never seen the documents before and that the flash drives do not belong to him.


The prosecutor is presenting documents connected with the “European Belarus” campaign, “Charter’97” and others. One of the present has asked to prosecutor to speak more distinctly. However, the judge has warned the woman that she will have to leave the court room next time, reports Radio Liberty.


The prosecution is trash, says Shushkevich to the present in a loud voice. He says that he will describe in Vilnius tomorrow. He notes that the prosecution has nothing else to show.

 

15.15 Ivashkevich claims that no violence was planned. Sannikau did not give any special orders before his meeting with electors in Orsha. He says that the authorities are waging war against their own people, informs Radio Liberty.

14.55 Ivashkevich’s speech addressed to electors is demonstrated: let us go to the Square so that our demands would be heard. The court has decided to interrogate witness Ivashkevich, informs Radio Liberty.
 

The lawyers have “Narodnaya Volya” on their tables; they looked through it before the hearing. Stanislau Shushkevich is present in the court room.  A policeman has warned him that it is forbidden to take pictures.

13.45. Alyaksandr, member of Andrei Sannikau’s initiative group, has told Euroradio on air that Sannikau has supported the independent editions “Nasha Niva” and “Naronya Volya” in the court room today. The editions are on the verge of closing down. Sannikau clasped “Nasha Niva” and “Narodnaya Volya” to his bosom and clenched his first. “The lawyer repeated his words later: Andrei Sannikau had asked him to express his support to the two newspapers”, - says Alyaksandr.

12.40. Video materials are being studied. Sannikau is making a speech in the video. He is describing his election programme: integration in the EU, relations with Russia, privatization, the demographic situation in Belarus and “Chernobyl” programme.


It is necessary to change the government that has seized the whole country and the people and is taunting this people. We are close to it as never before, reports Radio Liberty referring to Sannikau’s statement.

 

12.27. The closed hearing of Sannikau’s private phone talks is over. The present have been allowed to enter the court room, informs Radio “Liberty”.

 

11.30 A break has been announced during the closed hearing. The lawyers have not given any comments to journalists, informs Radio Liberty.

The break is caused by the fact that one of Sannikau’s conversations has not been deciphered and it is impossible to comprehend what it is about. The lawyers have asked to conduct a phonoscopic expertise and restore the conversation.


10.50 Sannikau has strongly objected to the demonstration of the DVD containing his phone talks.


In Sannikau’s opinion, his line was tapped illegally, without the public prosecutor’s permission and it violated his constitutional rights. The prosecutor has suggested studying the disc at a closed hearing, but Sannikau’s lawyers have also objected to it. They think that the disk has nothing to do with the case and that the evidence was received in a way violating the procedural provisions.


One of the present has informed Euroradio that everyone has been asked to leave the court room because it has been decided to study Sannikau’s phone talks at a closed hearing.
 

10.15 The court room is half empty on the eighth day of the hearing, informs Radio “Liberty”. Mirzayanau’s mother and uncle have not been allowed to enter the court room again. The witnesses have not appeared yet. The material evidence is being studied.

May 10 

18.00 Break till 10 a.m., May 11.

16.25 The court proceded to studying the case's video materials. The TV-set is turned back to the audience. Only the participants of the trial can see the screen, Radio Liberty informs. 

16:00 Witness Halina Juryna: "People's moods were high - we were in awe that there had been so many of us, there was a feeling of a holiday, no aggression, or anger. When everything was over, I went round the Square at least five times - there were no ice-axes, or canisters, or whatsoever."

15:35 The former Minister of Defense Paval Kazlouski, Sannikau's representaive, spoke at the trial. He said he knew Sannikau since 1991, they worked together in the commission for creating Belarusian army. Kazlouski headed this commission, and Sannikau represented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in it. Kazlouski participated in the negotiations on division of Soviet armed forces, on pullout of nuclear weapons, together with Sannikau.

Kazlouski: "We talked with Sannikau that there could be no violent options. He did not urge people to depose the authorities violently. Sannikau's team worked in accordance with the Electoral Code".

14.50 Pavel Siarhej from Maladechna is being interrogated as a witness. He is a student, he knows Uladzimir Yaromenak. Participated in a rally from the railway station to the Square on December 19,  Radio Liberty informs. All the candidates apart from Lukashenka and Tsiareshchanka spoke in the Square", - says Siarhej. - "They demanded a second round".

14.30 Riot policeman Dalidovich spoke as a witness. He says that demonstrators threw snowballs in riot policemen, beat them in the helmets with fish rods, insulted. Someone lifted the vizard of his helmet and hit him. 

14:16 The trial has been resumed after the break.

Fiodar Mirzayanau appealed that his mother should be allowed to be at the trial. "My friends cannot get into the hall as some bastards occupy the last three rows of seats", — Mirzayanau said. The judge Chatsvertakova warned him and did not allow Mirzayanau's mother to be present at the trial anymore.

12.50 Human rights defender Aleh Vouchak - a member of Andrej Sannikau's nomination group, spoke at the trial.

Vouchak noted, being an Afgan warrior who had special training, that the guys who were breaking windows did it like trained warriors. The police allegedly refused to detain the hooligans and did not stop them, Radio Liberty informs. 

Vouchak also says that the policemen could injure one another during dispersal of the action. People did not resist. Vouchak asks the court to attach OSCE's report on violations during election to the case. 

12.00 The judge satisfied Tankachova's appeal and attached the recent report of the International Observing Mission about the December 19 events to the case materials. The experts state in their report that it was a peaceful gathering of people: "Some citizens broke the law and committed actions which should be a subject of certain estimation. However, this does not give grounds to call all the events "mass disturbances" as too few people took part thereof".

11.35 Human rights defender Alena Tankachova is giving evidence. She has informed that she was in the Kastrychnitskaya Square on December, at the "peaceful action of citizens", Radio Liberty informs. 

People came out to the avenue as it was impossible to conduct the demonstration in the Square any more. Presidential candidates were near the bulding of the Trade Unions' Palace of Culture when the people moved to the avenue. They did not lead the column. Sannikau was in the middle of the column. "It was obviously a peaceful action, with no aggression, a very accurate one. When a youngster seized flags from KGB, people in the crowd asked him not to do that. People were glad to take part in a peaceful action", - Tankachova says.

"The Independence Square was fully crowded with people. There were ideas of negotiations with the authorities' representatives. I was surprised that the House of Government was not enclosed by the police". 

According to Tankachova, people reacted negatively when some unknown persons started breaking the windows of the House of Government: "The police's actions were aimed not at localization of events at the porch of the House of Government, but at suppression of the demonstration, physical violence against its participants".

10.40 Medicolegal expert Victoria Markush has informed that the casualty Kashtalanau did not come to them for an examination, Radio Liberty reports. 

A witness Jury Karalkou, the chief inspector of Minsk city administration of internal affairs, says that he announced through a megaphone that the demonstration was prohibited and that physical force would be used in case people did not go away, in the Independence Square. Karalkou says that he was ordered to read out this text 10 times and then to leave the Independence Square. When he was leaving he saw nothing as somebody had hanged a white-red-white flag onto his car's front window. The witness says that reading out the text took him "5 minutes at the maximum". 

10.05 Trial has been resumed. Witnesses' testimonies are to be heard today. The defense wanted to summon Karziuk, Bandarenka and Khalip as witnesses, but the judge declined this appeal. Human rights defenders Alena Tankachova and Aleh Vouchak are among the witnesses today.

Fiodar Mirzayanau's mother Luidmila Mirzayanava and his uncle Siarhej Aniska were not admitted to the court hall. Radio Liberty reminds, that they were sent off the court hall on May 6 for speaking up loud - they told the riot policemen's evidence were false.

18.40 A break has been announced till May 10, 10 a.m. The lawyers appealed for another interrogation of Iryna Khalip and Zmitser Bandarenka. The court will decide on this on May 10, "Nasha Niva" informs.

17:15 Witnesses are speaking in court. 

16:15 Public traffic drivers spoke in court. Mikalaj Aleksievich and Mikalaj Dziamidovich told that they had changed the routes of public traffic on December 19. 

Next witness - Anatol Daniankou, chief traffic inspector of Minsk. He is telling how traffic policemen tried to stop the demonstration of many thousand people on December 19 in the Independence Ave. Traffic policemen Ivan Shydlouski and Andrej Skabarouski tell the same, Radio Liberty informs.

15.10 Casualties have spoken at the trial. Policeman Siarhej Masalski claims that the demonstrators beat them in the shields with fish rods and feet. A group of people allegedly dragged him out of the chain and someone hit him in the head with a heavy object. 

Policeman Ksiandzou has told that he had his helmet torn off, and someone hit him in the shoulder, nn.by reports.

Volha Kalinouskaya, whose apartment was rented by Yaromenak, speaks as witness. She says there were Vital Rymasheuski's business cards in the apartment. She adds that she found out about the youngster's arrest in the Internet.

Next witness - Charnabay, chief mechanic of "Belinvestsrvice". He says he recognized Sannikau visually. He worked in the traffic police on December 19. He says that the crown was going by the traffic way of the Independence Ave. Charnabaj was at the crossroads with Engels Street together with his workmates. Presidential candidates Sannikau, Statkevich and Us were standing 5-7 meters away from him. They asked to let the people go.

14:10 Trial has been resumed after the break. Interrogation of casualties goes on. Riot policeman Siarhej Masalski is speaking. He says that the demonstrators dragged him out of the chain into the crowd and hit him in the head. He remembers spade handles and bottles in their hands. He says he only pushed the demonstrators with his shield and beat no one with a baton.

13.00 Representatives of law-enforcement authorities Bulavatski and Maiseeu spoke in the court. "The demonstrators wanted to hit me, maybe, in the face. Someone threw a piece of ice on me, thank God there were no consequences. I think this is not funny", — nn.by reports Maiseeu's words.

The judge Chatsvertakova sent Fiodar Mirzayanau's mother and uncle off the court hall. They called the actions of riot policemen "a farce and a theatrical show". Mirzayanau's uncle Siarhej Aniska, a retired Liuetenant Colonel of military intelligence police, participant of Afganistan war, told Maiseeu that he disgraced the esprit.

A break is announced till 14.10.

11:40 A riot police commander Kashtalanau answered Mirzayanau's question as follows: "I don't know who supervised my actions". The lawyers asked why riot police had not arrested those who had been breaking glass on the spot. Kashtalanau answered that they had another task - to protect the House of government.

The lawyer asks why riot policemen left the House of Government for the first time. Kashtalanau answers shortly "There was an order". Why there was such n order, he doesn't know.

Kashtalanau says he was hit in the hip, maybe, with a spade handle, as a result of this his mobile phone, which was in the pocket, got broken. However, he did not go to medicolegal experts due to lack of time.

11:00 Next casualty - Aliaksandr Kashtalanau, a deputy commander of riot police squad. He says that on December 19 he was in the reserve, watched Kastrychnitskaya Square. "We were transferred to the Trade Union Palace of Culture as they thought this building might be seized", – Radio Liberty reports Kashtalanau's words. 

"A group of people stood near the porch of the House of government obviously wishing to get in. We were forcing them back, off the porch. When I ran on the porch I suddenly felt pain in my left hip, put I paid no attention to this as I was fulfilling my task", – the riot policeman says.

He is telling about the demonstrators' attempts to break the chain of riot policemen, saying that they used fire-extinguisher, threw bottles, spade handles, fish rods: "Demonstrators pushed our guys to the corner from the side of the Red Catholic Church; they beat us, seized out shields..."

10:25 A riot policeman Anatol Epifanau is being interrogated. He says that he was holding his duties in a bus in Kastrychnitskaya Square on December 19.  "Our task was to sit in the reserve. At about 22.00 there was an order to go to the House of Government. Then there was an order to run out and stand our backs to the house of Government, forcing people off the building upon necessity. I used no physical force. I can't say there were attempts to break through. I saw no objects in people's hands. When I was crossing Savetskaya Street, I was hit in the knee with something heavy. I don't know who did it, maybe the demonstrators", – Radio Liberty reports the policeman's words.

Defendant Hnedchyk states: it is clearly seen in the video materials from the Square that riot police beat people, while the casualty says they used no physical force. However, Epifanau insists that he beat no one and did not see any riot policemen beating anyone. Answering the lawyers' questions he admitted that he might be hit in the knee by another riot policeman during the movement.

May 5

19.40 The trial will continue at 10 a.m. on May 6, informs BelaPAN.

16.50 All the today’s witnesses have been interrogated. Policeman Pavyadaika and student Bahdanovich (BDC member) have not attended the trial because the former is on a business trip and the latter has fallen ill. The judge has decided that these are good reasons.


However, Bahdanovich received his sick-list on May 4. The lawyers insist on summoning him to court because he is supposed to witness against Sannikau, Halip, Statkevich, Us and the others – he said that they had pushed policemen to the traffic way. The judge has denied the motion. Some of the present are indignant, informs Radio “Liberty”.

The court has decided to study the case papers and video discs.

16.10 Witness Sergei Kiyenya, reporter of the information agency “Interfax”, is giving evidence. He says that he was in October and Independence Squares on December 19 as a journalist and that he was coving the work of the police. Kiyenya has noted that there were no threats, appeals for aggression or violence and that he did not see any crow bars, sticks or suspicious bottles in demonstrators’ hands, informs Radio “Liberty”. According to Kiyenya, he did not see demonstrators to use force against the police.

14.00 The hearing has been resumed after a break. Only one witness – entrepreneur Alyaksandr Makayeu – has appeared in court. He says that the demonstrators’ actions were spontaneous, informs nn.by. He claims that there were more journalists and Chiefs of Police rather than demonstrators on the threshold of the House of the Government.

Makayeu mentions the great number of policemen concentrated in the area close to the opposition action and says that it was a military operation.

11.50 The morning interrogation of witnesses is over. 6 more witnesses will arrive at 2 p.m. The court has started studying the case papers. The judge has discovered some discrepancies in Hnedchyk’s evidence, informs Radio “Liberty”. Hnedchyk has refused from part of the evidence given during the preliminary investigation.

11.00 The head of the legal department of “Beleuronet”, Paval Haiduk, has informed that one of the company’s affiliates was closed earlier on December 19 – at 9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. It happened because the supermarket was closed. According to him, it caused no losses and the property was not damaged, reports Radio “Liberty”.


10.40 Aleh Hlou, deputy director of Minsk metro, has made his speech. The witness has told that he was not at work on December 19 but he knows that two metro stations were closed on that day - “October” and “Kupala” stations. The reason for it was mass actions in October Square. According to him, it is impossible to assess the losses at the moment.
 

10.30 Andrei Alyaksandrau, employee of the Palace of Trade Unions, is the first to be interrogated. He has claimed that the palace stopped working on December 19 in connection with the preparation for New Year’s morning performances and because there were about 200 people near the entrance to the Palace.


According to Radio “Liberty”, he has not managed to comment on the losses caused by the meeting. There is a document saying that the Palace lost 2.5 million roubles. The witness also claimed it during the investigation. Now he is saying that he does not have the exact information because the investigator noted down his words “partially”. The courses and hobby groups were postponed, they were not cancelled.

17.47 The trial will be resumed on Thursday morning at 10.00. 12 accusation witnesses will give evidence. Half of them already witnessed at trials against Mikita Likhavid, Artsiom Breus and Ivan Haponau. These are riot policemen, "Nasha Niva" informs.

17.20 The judge has read out 5 volumes of the criminal case by now. Materials of tapping of Andrej Sannikau's phone were in the 5th volume. The judge is still reading.

15.50 When the accused have been given an opportunity to ask their questions to Ramanchuk, Sannikau said without even looking at him: "I have no questions to a witness who actively participated in sending my wife to prison".

Interrogation of witnesses for today is over. The court proceeds to studying the case's documentation. The judge has informed that hey will see all the DVDs with photos later, when a large screen is installed in the court hall.

15.25 The ex-presidential candidate Yaraslau Ramanchuk is giving evidence. Relatives of the accused have reacted negatively on his arrival.

Ramanchuk says he had no contacts with other candidates. He has got confused while saying the name of his electoral campaign. Ramanchuk has added that Sannikau suggested he should withdraw his candidature for the benefit of Andrej Sannikau, back in October. Ramanchuk refused. An identical suggestion arrived from Nyaklyaeu later.

Ramanchuk says that he had reasons to suspect that the election was not democratc, in the evening on December 19. He says that opposition candidates lost due to different reasons.

The judge has said to Ramanchuk: "You talk a lot but you are not answering the question". Ramanchuk is indeed avoiding some questions, like the one asked by the public prosecutor about an opportunity for negotiations with the authorities, nn.by notes.

Ramanchuk says he stayed in the Square to give interviews to journalists. He was standing near the Red Catholic Church in the Independence Square. He did not hear the candidates' speeches as there were many people and he stood rather far away.

14:20 The "Young Front" activist Nasta Palazhanka is giving evidence, Charter'97 informs. She is telling about the glass-breaking incident. According to her, 1-2 people started breaking the glass, she doesn't know any of them, policemen did not react, did not arrest them. "They just approached, hit a couple of times and left".

12.40 A break has been announced till 14:00, nn.by reports. Yaromenak's lawyer Mrs. Mushynskaya has asked to replace her with someone else.

12.10 Rymasheuski has told there was no common plan of the square action. The candidates agreed to decide what to do next directly in the Square. None of the candidates could lead the demonstration on his own.

Rymasheuski says that he appealed to the traffic police asking to free a part of the avenue for the people during the column's movement. However, people were already in the traffic way and the cars stopped anyway. According to Rymasheuski, people were convinced to step off the traffic way in the Independence Square. He says he doesn’t know whom the audio equipment, which was in the Square, belonged to. 

The ex-candidate recognized Mirzayanau and said he did not behave in an aggressive way, and helped him to protect the doors of the House of Government from demolishers, Charter'97 informs.

Rymasheuski claims that he tried to appeal for negotiations with riot police, convinced the policeman Yauseeu not to beat people. When the provocateurs start breaking glass, everyone was in the state of bewilderment, he says.

11.35 The ex-presidential candidate Vital Rymasheuski is giving evidence. He answers the judge's questions in Belarusian. Rymasheuski has informed that he participated in the electoral campaign, was in both Kastrychnitskaya Square and Independence Square.

Rymasheuski has informed that he tried to coordinate his activity with other candidates, urged them to work together. He says that many of them had the same vision that there should be democracy in the country. As for Square action coordination, Rymasheuski says there were no meetings and no coordination between himself and Sannikau in this regard.

10.27 Trial against the ex-presidential candidate Andrej Sannikau, and also Ilya Vasilevich, Aleh Hnedchyk, Fiodar Mirzayanau and Uladzimir Yaromenak has been resumed on May 4. Jaraslau Ramanchuk and Vital Rymasheuski will give their testimonies as witnesses today. 

Dzmitry Novik has become the first witness today. He is sentenced to 3,5 years of imprisonment in a colony for participation in Square events, nn.by reminds. Novik says there were no mass disturbances: "There were no appeals to go and storm the House of Government, everything was very well organized. None of the demonstrators demolished the building".

17.06 Next witnesses – Alena Vishneuskaya and Andrei Staletau.

15.42 The court has not added the photos to the case papers.

15.26 Mirzayanau has thanked Kuchko for having preserved the evidence proving that the case is trumped-up. The audience have started applauding. The judge has warned them that they may be asked to leave the court room.

The judge has denied the motion explaining it by the fact that there is no time to add the photos to the case papers. 

The lawyers are insisting on an expertise of the camera to find out when the pictures were made.

15.17  Pyotr Kuchko is giving evidence. Kuchko has claimed that he was at the action on December 19 – he came there to listen to the candidates’ speeches. The action was peaceful. He got to know about it at meetings with opposition candidates. He went there alone. He reached October Square at 7 p.m.

"The opposition candidates arrived at about 8 p.m. There was not enough room for demonstrators in the square, the music and the skating rink were in the way”, - says the witness.

Nobody prevented people from heading towards Independence Square. There was a feeling of inspiration and enthusiasm.

Kuchko has claimed that he stayed in Independence Square after the dispersal of the manifestation. Policemen did not pay attention to the elderly man. He has claimed that there were no bottles, ice-axes, jerricans and all the other things shown by the BT in the film “Iron upon the Glass” later. The witness has called the film to be a fake and has claimed that he made five pictures of the square with his cell phone on the evening after the dispersal. There are no objects mentioned in the case papers and shown in the BT’s film in those photos.

13:01 Labkovich says that from 10 to 15 people were breaking the door and the windows in the House of the Government. According to the human rights activist, people in plain clothes (he had already seen them at previous actions) were watching the process. He approached the people with Hulak. Hulak asked the officers why they would not interfere. A small group of people were breaking windows during a peaceful action. “The officers said that they did not have to keep the order and that they were just standing there”, - informs Nasha Niva.

12:39 Human rights activist Uladz Labkovich is the next witness. 
12:31 "I did not see any policemen. I did not see anyone trying to resist them. I stayed in the Square until the end”, - says Byalyatski.

 
12:18 Byalyatski says that people were calm during the whole action.

11:58 Byalyatski says that Dec.19 events did not differ from any other street manifestations of the past 25 years. The action was peaceful. “There were from 20 to 30 thousand people. The music in October Square was very loud, you could not hear anything. It was impossible to organize a meeting there”, informs Nasha Niva. 
11:44 Ales Byalyatski, chairperson of the human rights centre “Vyasna”, is the next witness.

12:39 Sannikau says that they were waiting somebody from the House of the Government to start negotiations. He often worked at weekends when he was the deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He says that there had to be at least one official in the House of the Government. He had to ask Sidorski to make a decision or to do it himself.

Sannikau has asked Hrudzilovich whether he could hear any appeals for violence and whether there was such a plan. Hrudzilovich does not think that the candidates had a plan, informs Nasha Niva.

 
11:20 Aleh Hrudzilovich’s interrogation continues. 

10:34 "It seemed to me that demonstrators did not break the panes at first, they arrived later”, - says Hrudzilovich. He did not see any fittings, ice-axes or jerricans.


10:25 Hrudzilovich did not notice any violations of the law. “The meeting did not start but the panes had already been broken”, informs Nasha Niva. 

10:17 Journalist of Radio “Liberty” Aleh Hrudzilovich is being interrogated. He was doing his job in the Square. He says that the action was absolutely peaceful. Hrudzilovich could hear statements that the election had been rigged and that it was necessary to demand a new one.

10:08 Lawyer Kavaleuskaya has requested to interrogate witnesses for the defence. There are nineteen of them. Journalist Aleh Hrudzilovich, human rights activists Ales Byalyatski and Uladz Labkovich are among the witnesses.

10:07 Thirty young strangers are present in the court room. However, they have refused to confess from what educational institution they are. “We are just curious”, - they say. It has taken Fyodar Mirzayanau’s mother a long time to enter the court room, informs “Nasha Niva”.

U.S. plenipotentiary Michael Scanlon, representatives of the OSCE and of the German Embassy and Uladzimir and Lutsiyana Halip are in the court room.

 

April 29 The third day of the hearing in Partisan District Court.

15.42 Interrogation of casualties is over. 18 riot policemen are on vacation now. One is under an ambulatory examination. They cannot appear in the court. There are 29 casualties; only 8 of them have been interrogated.

15.39 Fiodar Mirzayanau is the only one who asks questions to the casualties. All the rest remain silent.

15.38 Dzmitry Skarakhod is giving testimony. The witnesses are the same as at the trial against Kirkevich, Vinahradau, Drozd. Skarakhod says that someone put off his helmet and hit him in the head.

15.02 Vital Pilipejka is giving testimony. He says that when he attempted to force back the demonstrators, someone stamped him, and another person hit him in the back. He fell into the crowd, where he got more blows. His workmates defended him.

15.01 Sakach says that at first he was in a car behind the Palace of Republic. Then he was transferred to the Independence Square. When they dispersed the crowd, he was hit in the arm.

"I don't want to speak about my opinion, I am speaking about the facts", — Sakach says. He saw no armed resistance.

14.44 Riot policeman Aliaksej Sakach is giving testimony.

14.42 Ihar Ziankevich claims that he saw sticks and one metallic rod. He was injured in the square. The doctors recorded an inhalation burn.

According to Ziankevich, demonstrators threw bottles with some liquid on him, and shouted him to leave. He saw no fires or armed resistance.

Ihar Ziankevich witnessed at the trial against Zmitser Dashkevich and Edward Lobau,  according to "Nasha Niva".

14.12 New casualties have arrived. Ihar Ziankevich is the first to speak.

14.08 Fiodar Mirzayanau's mother says that her son hopes to prove himself innocent at the trial. However, she says he would better prepare for the worst.а

14.03 Trial goes on. A journalist of "Kamsamolskaya Pravda" Iryna Kozlik has not been admitted to the court hall after the break due to unknown reasons.

13:00 A break has been announced till 14:00

12:08 Saroka was wearing plain clothes in the square. He did not pay attention to faces - he just controlled the crowd.

12:02 Next casualty - Jury Saroka, the chief expert of the Soviet district department of internal affairs. He doesn't know the accused, Nasha Niva informs.

11.25 Next casualty - riot policeman Dzianis Hushcha. He told that he was hit in the left knee area during dispersal of the demonstration in the Independence Square. He addressed to the doctors but they said there was nothing serious.

10.47 Next casualty - a riot policeman Aliaksandr Volkau. He says that someone hit him in the right knee during dispersal of the demonstration. He does not remember the person who attacked him. He stayed on duty till the end of the mop-up operation, and addressed for a medical assistance the next morning, Radio Liberty informs.

10.08 Interrogation of casualties starts. The first one is the deputy commander of the riot police squad Siarhej Lushchyk. He got a bruise on his backside during dispersal of the demonstration.

Lushchyk says that he received an order to go to the Independence Square at 22.00. He was wearing a helmet, a bullet-proof vest and protective shields on his arms and legs. He was ordered to force back the crowd during an attempt to storm the house of government.

"I was behind the shields of my workmates. There were many people in the square; they were breaking glass, a group of people stood near the entrance, about 30 people, including reporters. Several our guys slipped, I grabbed one of them to help him get up, when an unknown person  made a strike at me with an ice axe, I bend, and was hit in the back with the axe's handle, and the second blow was in the backside. I fell down".

After this he got up and continued performing his duties.

Lushchyk says that the demonstrators had fishrods and spade handles in their hands.

The casualty says that he got to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' hospital at 2 a.m. and spent 4 days there.

Sannikau refused to ask questions to the casualty, saying "I have no questions, I just feel pity for him", Radio Liberty informs.

10.03 The casualties - riot policemen - arrived to the trial. There are 3 of them at the moment - young well-built men, Radio Liberty informs.

10.00 Trial is resumed.

9.55 No photo or video-filming has been allowed. Representatives of state media have been let in before all the other journalists. 

9.50 People have been admitted to the court hall. Relatives of the accused, diplomats of EU countries, a representative of the U.S. Embassy Christopher Panicka, human rights defenders and a politician Jury Khadyka are present.


April 28  The Partyzanski district court of Minsk has resumed hearing of the criminal case against Square participants.

17.45 Mirzayanau’s lawyer has asked for permission to study Sannikau and Vasilevich’s evidence. The judge has complied with the request.

The judge has announced a break until 10 a.m. on April 28.

17.04 The case papers are being studied. A representative of the Prosecutor’s Office is reading them aloud.

16.59 The judge has demanded to change the hearing procedure. The case papers will be studied instead of the interrogation of witnesses.

16.41 Sannikau’s interrogation is over. The court has announced a 10-minute break.

16.32 "This is nonsense – I did not organize any mass disorders. I had always said that we would stick to the Constitution”.

Sannikau says that there is a tradition of gathering at a peaceful action on the Election Day to claim that the country needs changes.

"I was said that the injury was serious and that I would be taken to hospital in Akrestsina. But they delivered me to “Americanka” (KGB prison) instead”. 

There were white-red-white and European flags in the Square but there were no ice-axes. It was an absolutely peaceful manifestation of people who hoped for the better”.

16.17 "My leg was hit with something heavy and I lost conscience for awhile. 

I managed to get up only with the help of Leanid Navitski and my wife. They said that we had to go to hospital. But driving inspectors stopped us in Victory Square. I tried to explain that I was injured. They dragged me out of the car, booted me a few times and put me in the snow. They made us get in different cars and I was delivered to the detention centre in Akrestsina”.

16.14 Sannikau says that he told special police troops to call their administration and that he was ready for negotiations but nobody came.

The candidate came to the threshold when the panes had already been broken. “The dispersal started when I approached the monument to Lenin”.

16.09 "The very fact of negations was important. I expected to see some brave people who would admit the crisis".

I heard glass breaking near the House of the Government and approached to find out what was going on. I did not see anything. I said that it was a provocation. Rymasheuski said the same. The first line of special police troops arrived at that moment”.

16.05 "I arrived in Independence Square a bit later than the other candidates. I saw a few candidates near the Catholic Church and approached them. We walked towards the monument to Lenin together. I did not urge people to walk in the traffic way. We kept saying that we needed negotiations. Thousands of people had voted for it in October Square”.
16.00 "My wife and I approached driving inspectors and said that it was necessary to keep the order. I was in the centre of the column. Nobody urged people to leave. I knew that the action was unauthorized”. 

15.55 The presidential candidate says that he arrived at the Square together with his wife and friends. He has admitted that he addressed people in October Square. It was decided to head for Independence Square. There were several dozen thousand people in October square, the skating-rink was open and the music was very loud. The candidates could not address the people. Somebody informed that special police troops were near the Trade Unions Palace and that they were ready to begin a dispersal. It was very likely to happen and we decided to walk”.
15.50 The prosecutor has asked if Sannikau urged people to come to the Square on December 19. Sannikau has admitted doing it in mass media and at his meetings with electors.

"I did not coordinate my actions with the other candidates although I knew that they had also urged people to come to the square. There was no join plant of the Square. I did not give any instructions to come”.
15.46 Sannikau has started giving evidence. He has urged the judge to act according to the law and added that the case is political.

15.16 According to Mirzayanau, there were 30 thousand people in the Square. The other accused have mentioned similar numbers.

Mirzayanau has also claimed that pressure was exercised. The head of the investigation department, Kazakevich, told him to say that the candidates had paid him for his participation on January 25. He promised that he would be treated as a witness if he claimed it. He says that he partially admitted his guilt because they promised to release him from Valadarka for it.

15.05 Mirzayanau says that he tried to prevent the instigators from approaching the threshold of the House of the Government and that he was in the crowd.

The guy has also said that he tried to remove glass fragments to prevent people from injuries. He did not knock on the door.

14.56 Fyodar Mirzayanau is being interrogated. Mirzayanau was a member of the BRUY and was a student of Belarusian State Economic University. He came to the Square after Yaraslau Ramanchuk’s appeal on the BT.

14.40 Hnedchyk says that candidates did not urge anyone to assault the House of the Government. He did not see policemen on the threshold of the House of the Government. But he saw that some participants had an ice-axe and a stick.

Hnedchyk says that he saw Parfyankou and that Rymasheuski urged to avoid provocations.
He says that he made about 15 kicks and hits.

14.03 The hearing has been resumed. Aleh Hnedchyk is being interrogated. He worked for a construction company and was a member of Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu’s initiative group during the election campaign.

12.50 Rest until 2 p.m.

12. 45 Judge Chatsvertakova has granted the lawyer’s motion and has decided to present all the evidence given by Vasilevich during the preliminary investigation since January 9, 2011.

12.30 Prosecutor Zahorski has asked to announce Vasilevich’s evidence given during the preliminary investigation.

Mirzayanau says that the police could exercise pressure on Vasilevich at that time. That is why it is impossible to trust that evidence. 

Some lawyers are also against it. However, the judge has supported the prosecutor and is ready the evidence given by Vasilevich during the preliminary investigation.
According to the earlier evidence, Vasilevich pled guilty and explained that he removed glass fragments from broken windows out of hooliganism rather than for the purpose of protecting demonstrators.
Vasilevich has claimed that pressure was exercised on him during the interrogation. The interrogation was conducted without his lawyer on January 6 and no report was drawn up.
He cannot think of the investigator’s name. “They threatened me with unbearable conditions”, - says Vasilevich.
No psychological pressure was exercised in his lawyer’s presence on January 11. However, Vasilevich has confessed that he was depressed.

11.55 Illya Vasilevich is being interrogated. He says that he found out that the peaceful action dated for the unfair presidential election would take place in October Square from mass media. He went there because it was interesting. Vasilevich says that he did not hear any appeals to assault the House of the Government.

11.40 Prosecutor Zahorski is asking Yaromenak who started leaving October Square first -  the people or the candidates. Yaromenak does not remember it.

"Did anyone urge to start violence, pogroms or armed resistance to representatives of the authorities?” – asks Zahorski. 

Yaromenak has answered “no” to all the questions.

Yaromenak does not remember what Sannikau did in the square and where he was. He did not see any rods, bottles or jerricans with explosives.  He has admitted that he had a crow-bar on him.

 

11.23 Yaromenak describes his actions on December 19. He says he liked presidential candidate Vital Rymasheuski. He came to the venue near the railway terminal in Minsk because of his appeal. He did not bring any objects to October Square.

Yaromenak says that people started knocking on the door after somebody’s provocation. He joined them not knowing what he was doing. The police made him and the others step back.

Yaromenak say that he regrets his actions near the House of the Government on December 19, informs Radio Liberty.

 

11.17 The accused are being interrogated. Yaromenak is the first. He is replying in Belarusian.

11.13 Sannikau has pled not guilty. Yaromenak has pled guilty. Mirzayanau has claimed that it was a lie and has pled not guilty. The present have started applauding. The judge has made a remark. Hnedchyk has partially pled guilty.

11.11 Defendant Hnedchyk is accused of trying to enter the House of the Government, hitting the barrier at least five times and breaking the door, informs Radio Liberty.

11.10 Prosecutor Zahorski is reading the accusation aloud. According to it, Vasilevich tried to enter the House of the Government. He hit the barriers near the entrance to the House of the Government with a metallic object twice and booted them four times.

11.05 The prosecutor is reading Sannikau’s accusation. He has claimed that he urged electors to take part in the unauthorized meeting in Minsk October Square many times on TV, in the radio and at his meetings. He claimed that the election was illegitimate which was false information and organized a manifestation in Independence Square together with the other candidates which prevented many institutions, banks, McDonalds and transport from functioning. McDonalds claimed that it had lost 8 millions of profit.

The prosecutor is reading aloud the list of members of special police troops who were injured and mentioned pogroms and arsons caused by demonstrators.

The present are indignant at the prosecutor who is speaking in a low voice and they cannot hear anything. The judge has made a remark.

10.55 The hearing has been resumed. The judge has disallowed the application for a change of the measure of restraint to a release on recognizance because the accused are facing more than 2 years of imprisonment and their crime is considered to be grave. According to the judge, representatives of the plaintiff and some victims and witnesses have not appeared in court. Nevertheless, it has been decided to continue the hearing without them, informs Radio Liberty.

10:25 The court has announced a break. The judge will have to make a decision about Sannikau’s defense, reports Nasha Niva.

10:19 Lawyer Varvashevich has applied for a change of his client’s (Andrei Sannikau) measure of restraint. None of the accused has a recusation, informs Nasha Niva.

10.00 The hearing has begun.

9.55 Only Andrei Sannikau’s relatives, diplomats, several people with passes and a few journalists (2 or 3) have managed to enter the court room. The rest are out because “there are not enough seats”.
9.15 The hearing will take place in a room with 60 seats. Andrei Sannikau’s mother Ala was the first to arrive, reports Radio Liberty.

 

Minsk Partisan District Court started considering the criminal cases concerning “the organization of mass disorders” by Andrei Sannikau, Illya Vasilevich, Aleh Hnedchyk, Fyodar Mirzayanau and Uladzimir Yaromenak. They may be imprisoned for up to 15 years. Natallya Chatsvertakova is the judge. 
 

  

Photo by: be.wikipedia.org