BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/08/2007

Belarusian Opposition Activist Jailed For Five More Days

Young opposition activist Alyaksey Shydlouski, who was about to complete his 15-day jail term on August 8, received a new five-day sentence the same day, Belapan and RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported. A judge found Shydlouski guilty of petty hooliganism for allegedly "behaving with insolence in a public place" and shouting obscenities at police officers on July 24. On that date, Shydlouski and another opposition youth, Pavel Baranouski, were caught by KGB officers while pasting up opposition leaflets in Minsk. They spent the night in a detention center and were taken to a court the following morning, but their trial was postponed to August 8 because witnesses for the prosecution failed to appear. Shydlouski and Baranouski were allowed to go but Shydlouski was arrested once again on July 25 on another charge of petty hooliganism, for which he received his 15-day jail sentence. The five-day sentence relates to the first charge of petty hooliganism that was allegedly committed by Shydlouski on July 24. Also on August 8, a three-day jail sentence was handed down to Baranouski. Meanwhile, investigators on August 7 brought a formal charge of acting on behalf of an unregistered opposition organization called the Youth Front against 18-year-old Anastasiya Azarka. Her colleagues, Yaraslau Hryshchenya and Ivan Shyla, are also facing the same charge. If found guilty, the three may be sentenced to a fine or a prison term of up to two years. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/08/3-cee/cee-090807.asp