Revyaka, Labkovich set free, charges to be revised

Tacciana Raviaka and Uladzimir Labkovic handed out the leaflets with the image of political prisoner Ales Byalyatski in the center of Minsk on Monday. The human rights defenders were detained and charged with holding an unauthorized a non-sanctioned event.

However, the judges of the Savetski district court of Minsk set them free, and the charges of detention were sent for revision. 

Revyaka: "The policemen took our contact numbers and said they would find us as soon as they revised the documents. Before sending them to court they will let us see the materials of the case."

Actions in support of Ales Byalyatski were held in a number of Belarusian cities on August 4 - on the second anniversary of his arrest. Byalyatski's allies in Minsk organized an action on Monday, August 5. Revyaka explained it was connected with the fact that the human rights defenders had been away on vacations.

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At about 16.00 the human rights defenders were delivered to the Savetski district court of Minsk. Ravyaka managed to inform Radio Liberty that they were accused of illegal picketing and would stand trial. The trial will be presided by judge Dzmitry Paulyuchenka who is famous for numerous sentences against opposition activists.

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According to Radio Liberty, the detention happened near CUM store in Minsk. Labkovich managed to inform that he was in the Savetski district police department and the connection broke.

On August 4, on the second anniversary of Ales Byalyatski's arrest, action in support of him and other political prisoners were held in Belarus and abroad. Activists tried to get the authorities' permit for legal support actions in all the regional centers and many other cities. However, all the local authorities didn't allow the actions.
 

Human rights defender Ales Byalyatski was sentenced to 4,5 years of imprisonment in a reinforced-security colony in November 2011. He was considered guilty of tax evasion. The human rights defender claimed not guilty as all the money transferred to his foreign bank accounts went to human rights defense activity and support of political prisoners' families. Byalyatski is serving punishment in Babruisk colony. The EU countries, the United States and international human rights organizations consider Ales Byalyatski a political prisoner and his sentence politically biased. They demand Belarus should set him free.

Photo - Radio Liberty