Iryna Halip's sentence vacated (updated)
Iryna Halip's sentence is vacated after a 2-year respite. She was sentenced to a prison term for participating in 'mass riots' on December 19, 2010.
The journalist stood trail in Minsk Partisan District Court.
The inspectors who watched Halip during her respite said that they could not make any remarks. The judge left to take a decision.
Iryna Halip has been warned about contempt of court. The judge warned the journalist about criminal responsibility for contempt of court.
The petitions to replace the judge and prosecutor have been denied. The judge has forbidden taking photos and videos and all the present (journalists, diplomats and Iryna Halip’s relatives) were asked to leave the court room.
Iryna Halip: I’m wearing comfortable clothes and haven’t brought anything else to court
Iryna Halip is standing a closed trial. Many journalists entered the court room before the trial, Euroradio journalist Ales Piletski reports. The secretary told them to leave but the lawyer objected to it saying that only the judge could take such decisions.
The secretary left and the judge asked Iryna Halip and her lawyer to enter her office. The hearing is closed: journalists, relatives and Iryna’s friends are in the court room but Halip is in the judge’s office.
The journalist challenged the judge and the prosecutor. Lawyer Bahtsina has already been warned twice. A break has been announced.
Iryna Halip, ex-presidential candidate’s Andrei Sannikau’s wife (he received political asulym in Great Britain) was returned guilty of Dec.19, 2010 mass riots in May 2011. She was sentenced to two years of imprisonment with a 2-year respite.
The stay of execution will be over on July 21. The court will have to decide whether to put her to prison or leave her in the current state for some more time.
Halip was allowed to visit her husband in Great Britain and to go to Russia to take part in the work of Novaya Gazeta on February 13. She returned to Belarus in time, on April 3.
