6 years of imprisonment for Statkevich, 5,5 - for Us, 5 - for Klaskouski.

May 26.

Sentences to Statkevich, Us and Klaskouski have been pronounced.

May 20.

Sentence to Statkevich and Us will be pronounced later due to the illness of the judge Liudmila Hrachova.

Another person named in the "Dec. 19" case - Andrej Dzmitryeu - has informed this via Twitter. 

Let us remind you, Aliaksandr Klaskouski, Aliaksandr Kviatkevich, Artsiom Hrybkou, Andrej Pazniak and Dzmitry Bulanau stand trial together with Mikalaj Statkevich and Dzmitry Us

May 18.

16.15 The sentence will be pronounced at 16.00 on May 20.

16.14 Pazniak has said "Thank you. Take care. God will help you."

16.13 Hrybkou has apologized to all candidates.

16.12 Bulanau is grateful to those who prayed for him, to those who came to the trial, to his mother and his girlfriend, and to his lawyer. 

16.10 Klaskouski is speaking.

16.10 Kviatkevich's speech.

16.02 Us's last speech.

15.45 Mikalaj Statkevich is holding his last speech.

14.27 Artsiom Hrybkou's lawyer is speaking about her client's personality.

14.13 Kviatkevich's lawyer Siarhej Novik reminds that his client admitted guilt partly, and supports the opinion of his colleagues that there were no mass dirturbances. 

14.11 Klaskouski's lawyer asks to declare her client not guilty and withdraw all accusations.

12.30 The lawyer Tatsiana Stankevich, who defends Mikalaj Statkevich, claims that her client indeed was connected with the De cember 19 mass action, but he is in no way connected with mass disturbances, as there weren't any. No facts of breaking the public order were recorded during the action, Radio Liberty informs. 

Analysis of all video records show that there were only 3 groups of people who broke the doors. The first one is a small group headed by Klaskouski. The second one - two mwn who were breaking the doors and no one helped them. And the thrid one - three more people.

As for arsons, massacres and armed resistance - there certanly were none. The expertise defined there was no flammable liquids in the bottles. Therefore, it is impossible to speak about arsons or attempt for arsons. There can also be no armed resistance without arms.

Thus, what happened in the Independence Square was just a non-sanctioned event.

12.10 Us's lawyer Uladzimir Sazanchuk is speaking. He says that the accusation against his client has not been confirmed. Quotes the Code - definition of mass disturbances, notes that the law does not give a clear definition. 

The damage was estimated as 14 million - these are not mass distrubances, as they should be accompanied with violence, arsons, property demolishing. There was nothing of the kind. 

Direct actions were incriminated against Us, but no proofs thereof were presented. He does not deny that he took part in the electoral campaign and explains that he did it legally, and tried to achieve changes in the electoral legislation legally. There are no proofs that Us planned something criminal, in the case. 

Us had left the Independence Square before they started breaking windows. No one saw him there, no cameras recorded him since then. 

The lawyer asks to declare Us not guilty.

11.15. Prosecutor demands 8 years of imprisonment in a reinforced-security colony for Statkevich, 7 - for Us, 8,5 - for Klaskouski, 4 - for Pazniak, Kviatkevich and Bulanau.

10.45 Prosecutor is announcing the defendants' positions,  Radio Liberty informs. According to him, Statkevich pleads not guilty and gave no evidence during investigation. As for Klaskouski and Us, they gave contradictive evidence in order to avoid responsibility.

Kviatkevich, according to prosecutor, admitted that he had been at the demonstration, heard Statkevich's speech urging to go to the House of Government to negotiate. Approached the building and hit it three times for the aims of hooliganism, was a bit drunk. Kviatkevich used to say he followed Statkevich's call during preliminary investigation. He changed his testimony in court, but stated no significant reason for that.

Bulanau admits he hit the building for at least three times under the influence of the crowd. Had no intention to break into the House of Government.

Hrybkou says he had no intention to break into the House of Government, and hit the doors under the influence of the crowd. However, during preliminary investigation he said that he had come there to fight with the police.

Pazniak claims he broke nothing. Prosecutor refers to the policemen's testimonies, quoting their words about the demonstrators being violent and well-organized. He reminds about the injuries, beating and pain, enlists the victims' traumas.  

Prosecutor reminds that Klaskouski insulted and pushed the victim Zinkevich.

Sticks, metal rods, bottles with some liquid, possibly flammable, were found on the incident site. In the opinion of the prosecutor, this proves that the demonstrators had prepared for the crime beforehand. Statkevich claimed that the material evidence had been fabricated but his claims were not accepted, as there were no proofs thereof.

10.15 Trial has been resumed. Prosecutor Kiryl Chubkavets has noted that this is not an ordinary case as two presidential candidates are sitting on a bench of convicts. According to him, Statkevich and Us organized mass disturbances, while Klaskouski organized mass disturbances and took part in them.

May 17

15.55 Lawyer Stankevich has asked to interrogate Anatol Lyabedzka as a witness. The court has agreed. Lyabedzka has claimed that he went to the Square on December 19 as a self-respecting citizen. Lyabedzka is describing the events in the Square: there were a lot of people, the organization was bad, and there were no loudspeakers. It was a festive chaos, the atmosphere was festive. People were smiling. Many of them were with small children. There was no debris left in the street after the column had passed Independence Avenue. According to Radio Liberty, Lyabedzka has noted that Statkevich conducted a lot of successful street actions in the past. He says that strangers appeared in Independence Square and started breaking panes. He thinks that the scenario was prepared in advance. Lyabedzka was arrested according to a special list. Plank beds were prepared in advance in KGB prison: somebody knew that there would be new prisoners.

15.00 Witness Mikalai Charnabai, employee of “Belinvestservice” and former driving inspector who was in October Square on December 19, is being interrogated. He says that Sannikau, Us and Statkevich urged Karzyuk, head of the city driving inspectorate, to let them pass. Us said to Karzyuk: “Let us pass and you will become a general”.

14.55 Entrepreneur Ales Makayeu is the next witness, reports Radio Liberty. Makayeu says that he comes to the Square after every election to express a legal protest against rigged elections. He came there that time too. He does not remember Statkevich’s speech well but says that all the speeches were good, nobody urged to break the law. He says that the speakers demanded division of powers and a fair election. According to Makayeu, he saw Rymasheuski making a speech near the threshold of the House of the Government - he said that it was a provocation and that people should not break the panes. The police were watching. They did not stop those who were breaking the panes. Makayeu says that only 20 or 30 people were breaking the panes. “And some of those who were talked into it by the authorities”.

14.10 Bus drivers Mikalai Aleksiyevich and Vasil Martos are giving evidence. They say that they had to change their routes because traffic was blocked on December 19.

12.35 Andrei Staurouskі, police major and driving inspector, is the next witness. He cannot say who was leading the column because there were a lot of people. Some demonstrators entered the traffic way. 12.30 Witness Ivan Shydlouski, a driving inspector, has recognized Us and Statkevich, informs Radio Liberty. Shydlouski says that he saw Us and Statkevich leading the column. According to the driving inspector, Us told Karzyuk: “Lieutenant colonel, let us pass and you will become a general”. 12.08 Witness Uladzimir Kalhanau, head of Us’ initiative group, says that he delivered a small sum of money from Us and Statkevich once.

12.00 Witness Paval Lishtvan says that he collected signatures for Statkevich and Us. He was paid 50 cents for every signature. He made about 700 dollars.

11.20 A metro employee, Aleh Kruhlou, is the next witness. He does not know the detained and the victims either. He says that there were no losses caused by the necessity to close stations in connection with “mass events”.

11.10 Witness Victar Tsyareshchanka, member of special police troops. He is not acquainted with the defendants and with the victims. His evidence is similar to the evidence given by the previous witnesses. He remembers some tall man urging people to take part in the meeting. According to the evidence, Tsyareshchanka detained about 10 people and made reports about the detentions. Hrybkou was among them, informs Radio Liberty. The lawyer asks if the witness can recognize Hrybkou. The policeman says that he cannot do it because the defendants were wearing different clothes in winter. The policemen say that Hrybkou was detained in the Square. Hrybkou says that he left before the end of the meeting and was detained at the railway terminal.

10.50 Alyaksei Navitski, member of special police troops, is the next witness. He says that he is not acquainted either with the defendants or with the victims. He was behind the Palace of the Republic on December 19 and then he stood in the line near the entrance to the House of the Government. “The people in the Square kept insulting and threatening us. They were telling us to leave because they would pass anyway. Then we dispersed the crowd and detained the most active people”. According to Navitski, the first 2 or 3 lines of demonstrators tried to force their way through them, they kept snatching at their shields and hitting the policemen on their legs. The prosecutor is reading out the evidence given during the preliminary investigation. Navitski claimed that people had sticks and that he heard Kvyatkevich shouting out anti-governmental mottoes, informs Radio Liberty. The witness has confirmed the evidence. Kvyatkevich’s lawyer has asked how Navitski could hear Kvyatkevich’s anti-governmental mottoes as there was a lot of noise in the Square. The witness has replied: “I saw it because he was rather close”. Kvyatkevich says that he was not detained by special police troops. He was detained by a man in plain clothes.

10.20 Dudarchyk’s evidence given during the preliminary investigation is being read out: “They were hitting and booting the shields, some of them were using fishing-rods and sticks for it… I recognized Kvyatkevich in Akrestina. I made a report”. According to Radio Liberty, Dudarchyk has claimed that he cannot recognize Kvyatkevich now because he was wearing different clothes in winter. Kvyatkevich’s lawyer has mentioned a discrepancy: “How can you explain the fact that you saw him shouting out mottoes and then claimed that you saw him only when he was being made to get on the police bus?” Dudarchyk: "I claimed it because I know it. Did the demonstrators have a lot of sticks? They had a few”.

10.15 The hearing has been resumed. The secretary has announced the names of 10 witnesses who will be interrogated today.

Policeman Dudarchyk is the first one. He says that he is not acquainted with any of the defendants but he has recognized Statkevich. He says that he does not know the detained. He was in a police car in Bersan Street on December 19. They were ordered to head for the House of the Government and they made a line near the entrance. He says that people started insulting them, and then they attacked the policemen, hit them with fishing-rods and snatched at their shields. According to Dudarchyk, the policemen stepped back to the Pedagogical University and went to disperse the crowd later. The most aggressive people were isolated and detained. He took part in the detentions but he does not remember detaining any of the defendants.

Dudarchyk does not remember anything except for fishing-rods, notes Radio Liberty. The prosecutor says that the policeman gave different evidence during the investigation. The evidence from the third volume of the case is being read out.
 

May 16

 
19.45 The trial will be resumed at 10 a.m. on May 17.
15.10 Videos are being demonstrated.
10.40 Four witnesses from Mahilyou have not appeared in court. Their evidence will be read out.

May 14

15.56 The trial will be resumed at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 16.

15.55 Paznyak says that he has recognized himself in the videos. “That’s me. There are people around. I cannot move either to the left or to the right. I did nothing but I could not leave”.

May 13

20.30 The hearing will continue at 10 a.m. on May 14.

10.40 8 victims have arrived.

May 12

17.45 Break until 10 a.m., May 13.

10.07 Journalists have not been allowed to take pictures and make videos today, informs “Narodnaya Volya”.

May 11

17:00 Rest until 10 a.m., May 12.

11.35 The defendants have been asked whether they plead guilty.

Statkevich says that there were no mass disorders and pleads not guilty.
Us pleads not guilty and says that the election was rigged. Klaskouski pleads partially guilty. Kvyatkevch also pleads partially guilty.
Paznyak has pled not guilty, Hrybkou has pled partially guilty (he admits that he hit the barriers), Bulanau has pled partially guilty, informs Radio Liberty.

10.45 According to to Nasha Niva, Dzmitry Us is the only defendant sitting in the first row, the others are behind bars.

The trial of ex-candidates Mikola Statkevich and Dzmitry Us accused of “organization of mass disorders”, Andrei Paznyak, Alyaksandr Klaskouski, Alyaksandr Kvyatkevich, Artsyom Hrybkou and Dzmitry Bulanau has begun in Minsk Lenin District Court.
 

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