Verdicts to participant of a demonstration on December 19 against election fraud have been delivered on March 10th.

The court of the Maskouski district of Minsk found Russian nationals Artem Breus, Ivan Gaponov and Belarusian businessman Zmitser Myadzvedz guilty in taking part in the so called mass riot (part 2 of article 293 of the Criminal Code).

Myadzvedz got a three-year suspended sentence. He was freed in the courtroom, but will stay under police surveillance.

The Russian citizens were fined 10.5 million Belarusian rubles each.

The verdict to the Russians was delivered by judge Lyubou Syamakhina, to Dzmitry Myadzvedz – by judge Alena Rudnitskaya.

Prosecutor Syarhei Kunas demanded to fine Artem Breus and Ivan Gaponov $5,800 each, while prosecutor Mazouka demanded four years in a maximum security penal colony for Dzmitry Myadzvedz in spite of absence of evidence of his guilt.

The defense for Russians Artem Breus and Ivan Gaponov denied the very fact of mass riot on Independence Square in Minsk on December 19. As Breus’s lawyer Alena Kazak said, it had not been mass riot, but mass violation of public order.

Lawyer Syarhei Lepesh demanded to acquit Dzmitry Myadzvedz of the charge. As said by Lepesh, there is not a single proof that Myadzvedz committed a crime within a group by previous concert, as he is accused. As said by the lawyer, no proofs had been found that Myadzvedz showed armed resistance to policemen. No proofs have been found that arson took place during the demonstration on December 19, and that Myadzvedz used any armaments or objects used as weapons.

The aggrieved policemen gave their evidence to the court and didn’t identify Breus, Gaponov, and Myadzvedz.

Earlier, Alyaksandr Atrishchankau, spokesman for presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, and Vasil Parfyankou, an activist of Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu’s campaign, were sentenced to 4 years in a maximum security penal colony. Activists Zmitser Novik and Alyaksandr Mauchnau were sentenced to 3.5 and 3 years in a maximum security penal colony respectively.

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