Human rights activist Andrei Bandarenka to spend three years behind bars
Kastrychnitski District Court has sentenced Bandarenka to four years in prison with one year struck off on amnesty.
The 41-year-old Bandarenka was found guilty of hooliganism, malicious hooliganism and particularly malicious hooliganism (parts 1, 2 and 3 of Article 339 of the Criminal Code). The verdict was announced by the judge Alla Abakunchyk on August 12, reports BELAPAN.
Speaking on August 7 during the court pleadings, Kastrychnitski District Court deputy prosecutor Alyaksandr Barouski asked the court to sentence the defendant to five years in prison: six years for multiple offenses minus one year under amnesty. Mr Barouski found the guilt of human rights defender fully proven.
For her part, the defender Daria Lipkina asked the court to reclassify the charge on part 1 of article 9.1 of the Administrative Code (intentional infliction of bodily harm). According to the counsellor, five years in the penal colony, that the prosecutor asked for the accused, is an overly harsh punishment for Bandarenka.
The convicted defendent is going to appeal the verdict.
