BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

28/07/2006

Belarusian Opposition Activists On Trial

PRAGUE, July 28, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Four Belarusian opposition activists went on trial today in Minsk.

The trial is being held behind closed doors.

Ambassadors of several European Union countries, as well as opposition leader Alyaksandr Milinkevich arrived at the courtroom but were not allowed in.

The four were arrested in late February, in the run-up to the disputed March presidential election, in which President Alyaksandr Lukashenka was reelected.

Tsimafei Dranchuk, Mikalay Astrejka, Enira Branitskaya, and Alyaksandr Shalajka are accused of belonging to an unregistered organization "infringing upon the interests and rights of citizens."

The organization to which they belong, Partnerstva (Partnership), is an election observer group.

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/07/44A737B0-D096-47A4-84F0-C1358F57800C.html