Brest Court leaves Vital Koush in prison
The sentence has been changed partially.
Vital Koush’s sentence has been reduced by one day – September 22, 2012 has been included in his term (the day he spent in jail).
The 29-year-old civil activist was sentenced to 4 years in prison and confiscation of property. The court announced that he had organized an illegal attempt of crossing the Belarusian-Polish border in May 2012 – 8 Indians were trying to walk the tightrope over the border.
The case was reconsidered by the Regional Court but the sentence remained in power. The court did not take into account the fact that evidence was controversial and that some investigators’ reports were falsified. The court only reduced Koush’s term of imprisonment by one day.
Brest District Court will start considering Alyaksandr Varvashenya’s case on January 10. The 54-year-old man was wanted for being Koush’s accomplice at first. He went to the Investigation Committee after Vital Koush’s sentence had been left in power in autumn 2013. He wants a fair hearing of the Indians’ case, his wife said. Alyaksandr Varvashenya’s trial may have a great effect on Vital Koush’s fate, human rights activist Raman Kislayk thinks.
In the photos: Vital Koush (above), Alyaksandr Varvashenya (below).
