Convicted youth activists to appeal court decision

10 youth activists who have been convicted by Minsk Central District Court today (the judge was Alena Illina) are going to appeal the court decision. Let us remind you that they were returned guilty of mass riots that took place during entrepreneurs’ protest actions in January. The strictest verdict was pronounced to Andrei Kim. The court returned him guilty of having hit a policeman and sentenced him to 1.5 years of imprisonment in a colony.

Uladzimir Syarheyeu and Anton Koipish were fined for 3.5 million roubles. The others – Mihail Pashkevich, Alyaksei Bondar, Artsyom Dubski, Ales Stralstou, Ales Charnyshou, Mihail Kryvau and Tatstsyana Tsishkevich – were sentenced to 2 years of restriction of freedom without having to go to a penal labour camp.

They will serve their sentence at work and part of their salary will be confiscated by the state. They will not be able to leave their district of residence without permission, will be forbidden to go abroad and will have to give account to the police regularly, informs Radio Liberty.

All the convicted consider the verdict to be too strict and unfair. They claimed they would appeal the court decision and inform international human rights defending organizations about it.