BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

27/04/2006

Belarus Opposition Activists Sentenced to Jail for Protests

By VOA News

Courts in Belarus have sentenced the country's opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich and several of his associates to prison terms for taking part in what authorities called an unsanctioned march.

Milinkevich, Vintsuk Vyachorka and Alexander Bukhovtsau received 15-day terms, while Syarhey Kalyakin received a 14-day sentence.

The European Union has expressed concern over the rulings. A spokeswoman, Emma Udwin, says the grouping condemns any detentions arising from participation in demonstrations or political activity. She also says EU authorities are following the arrests closely.

City authorities had approved Wednesday's rally in Minsk, which coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. However, a march to the rally site was deemed unsanctioned.

Participants in the rally denounced Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's authoritarian regime.

Milinkevich ran against Mr. Lukashenko in last month's presidential election, getting only six percent of the vote.

The opposition has staged several protests since the March 19 vote, an election the international community has described as severely fraudulent.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

Source:

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-04-27-voa15.cfm