Zmitser Dashkevich is Sentenced to 1.5 Years For Nothing!

(Prison Time For Nothing For Young Belarusians - Regime is Dead!)

November 1st, 2006. Minsk, Belarus.

The leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich has been sentenced to 1.5 years of imprisonment in a minimum security colony. The verdict to the young activist has been passed in a closed trial by a deputy chairperson of the court of Kastrychnitski district Ala Bulash. The cruel verdict to Zmitser Dashkevich caused active protest. More than 300 persons were standing outside the court scanning "Freedom to Dashkevich!"

The trial over the leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich started on Monday, October 30, in the court of Kastrychnitski district of Minsk, and lasted for two days only, because of failure to appear in the court of most witnesses. The young activist had been charged with "activities of behalf of an unregistered organization" under Article 193 of the Criminal Code. Zmitser Dashkevich has spent more than a month in the remand prison. The maximum term of imprisonment under this article is two years.

It is not the first political trial under this article of the Criminal Code of Belarus. Activists of the public initiative of elections observation "Partnerstva" Tsimafei Dranchuk and Mikola Astrejka are already serving the sentence of one and two years respectively for participation in an unregistered organization.

"A cynical verdict to Zmitser Dashkevich is still another proof that Lukashenka's regime is not going to play in the game of law. It is quite clear that the Constitution and freedom of associations are trampled upon. It is clear that the regime is afraid of the young people, and first of all, of organized youth. For the democratic countries it is yet another proof that the dictatorship is hopeless, it is not going to be transformed or to be democratized," told the leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Aleksandr Milinkevich.

The US Ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart said that she is disappointed by it and condemns it.
"We consider the verdict to Zmitser Dashkevich and the whole process to be politically motivated, aimed at preventing Zmitser Dashkevich from expressing his convictions in a non-violent way.
As before, we would consider those who are violating human rights, responsible for this verdict, and call upon the Belarusian authorities to release Zmitser Dashkevich and those people who are imprisoned for political reasons, in particular Alyaksandr Kazulin, Mikalay Astrejka and Tsimafei Dranchuk," American diplomat said in an interview to the BelaPAN.