Daronin, Kazakou, Loban, Matsukevich, Sakret and Fedarkevich stand trial

Dzmitry Daronin, Syarhei Kazlou, Uladzimir Loban, Vital Matsukevich, Yauhen Sakret and Aleh Fedarkevich are standing trial there. They are accused of participation in mass disorders. Alena Shylko is the judge.

May 12 

Alena Shylko has announced the verdict against the square participants: Syarhei Kazakou, Vital Matsukevich, Yauhen Sakret, Uladzimir Loban - 3 years of imprisonment in a high-security correctional institution, Dzmitry Daronin and Aleh Fedarkevich - 3,5 years of the same.

According to the web-site of the human rights center "Viasna".

May 11

17.07 The defendants have pronounced their last pleas. The court’s decision will be announced at 4 p.m. tomorrow.


Kazakou’s last plea: my life depends on your conscience. He has asked for mercy and a shorter term of imprisonment.

 

Matsukevich: I admit that I was shouting “Belarusians, come here!” but I do not understand why it is considered a crime. He is asking not to imprison him.

 

16.54 The defendants are making their last pleas.


Daronin says that he considers his actions to be hooliganism and claims that he did not take part in the mass disorders.
Loban has asked for mercy. He is against violence that produces violence.


Sakret has stressed that he helped investigators and is asking not to imprison him for long. He claims that he did not take part in the mass disorders. He says that he did everything for self-defense.


Fedarkevich has asked: how his plea may influence the sentence? People laughed, informs Radio “Liberty”.

 

16.35 The prosecutor claims that the defendants bear common responsibility regardless of the fact whether they committed the mentioned actions or not.


16.25 Sakret’s lawyer says that her client received higher education, writes verses and prose and is keen on gardening. He is not a destructor, he is a creator. She says that his actions did not pose any threat to the public and is asking not to imprison him.

16.11 Loban’s lawyer also claims that the protest action cannot be considered mass disorders accompanied by violence and murder. There was no armed resistance to the police either as there were no weapons, informs Radio Liberty. She is asking to discharge Loban.



15.58 Matsukevich’s lawyer is making a speech. She is asking to acquit him.

15.32 The lawyers are making their speeches, informs Radio Liberty.


Sayrhei Kazakou’s lawyer claims that it is impossible to qualify the defendants’ actions as deliberate participation “in a united destructive force” like prosecutor Melnik says. The material damage done to the House of the Government would have greatly exceeded 14 million 480 roubles in such a case. She is asking to acquit Kazakou.


Fedarkevich’s lawyer confirms that the events that took place in Independence Square were not mass disorders. She supports her colleague, Syarhei Kazakous’ lawyer, and says that the reports made in the Square after the action are very different. There are a lot of discrepancies in them, claims the lawyer. She is asking to discharge her client.


Dzmitry Daronin’s lawyer is making her speech. She claims that her client has not violated the law. She also refutes that Daronin took part in the mass disorders because there were no mass disorders. The lawyer also claims that the videos do not prove that Daronin was hitting policemen.

15.00 The prosecutor is asking the court to sentence participants of Dec.19 events Uladzimir Lobach and Andrei Fedarkevich to 3.5 years on imprisonment in a top-security colony and to imprison Dzmitry Daronin, Syarhei Kazakou, Yauhen Sakret and Vital Matsukevich for four years, informs BelaPAN


Prosecutor Melnik has noted that the defendants participated in the mass disorders and that their actions were organized and directed at doing material and physical damage. He has also claimed that Daronin and Matsukevcih were drunk which is an aggravating circumstance.

11.44 The judge has asked Fedarkevich again whether he still refutes his participation in the mass disorders and admits that he took out the panes from the door and hit the barriers.

11.40 Kazakou has also called his actions hooliganism. He has pleaded partially guilty. He says that he did not take part in the mass disorders, reports Radio Liberty.


11.30 The prosecutor is asking Sakret: do you admit that your actions were unlawful; do you still stick to your position? Sakret has replied “Yes” but refuted breaking panes or trying to enter the House of the Government. The judge keeps asking Sakret how he can assess his actions. Sakret says that it was hooliganism.

 

11.20 The videos have been watched. Sakret was shown with a naildrawer, the demonstrators were shouting “Police with the people!” and Alyaksandr Klaskouski was blood-stained.


Prosecutor Melnik has begun his speech, reports Radio Liberty.
 

10.50 Videos made on December 19 are being studied. According to Radio “Liberty”, the video “is cut” into segments. There are certain people or groups of people in each of them. In particular, you can see three defendants there.


The video is being demonstrated: presidential candidates’ speeches and the moments when people started breaking the door.


In the video: the panes are being broken. The judge does not show any other videos except for Fedarkevich’s. Fedarkevich in close-up – he is taking the panes out of the door of the House of the Government. The judge smiles and asks Fedarkevich is he can recognize himself. Fedarkevich does not refute it but says that he did not break the door.

May 10 

18.00 A break has been announced till 10 a.m., May 11.

17.00 Interrogation of witnesses - policemen Makasin, Novik, Shchur, Nikifarenka - is over. They told that they had protected the House of Government while the demonstrators tried to break into it and beat the policemen.

The judge proceded to studying the case's materials, Radio Liberty informs.

16.30 Witnesses claim that Daronin drank a bottle of vodka with 3 more people before going to Square. 

12.45 Next witness - Maria Vainova. She recognized Matsukevich and said that it was him who called "Belarusians, come here!". She also said she saw Matsukevich kicking the door.

12.04 Christina Shatsikava spoke as a witness. The public prosecutor Melnik and the judge insisted she should reveal the names of peole who had been in the Square together with her. She said that she saw a man who had hit the doors first, and he was not among the accused. She recognized Matsukevich and claimed he had not broken the doors. She also said that people had reacted to his call "Belarusians, come here!" as if he wanted to cmake a provocation.

Ales Kvitkevich spoke as a witness. He was convoyed to the court but with no handcuffs on. He said that he had headed for the House of Government after Statkevich's call. He also saw a man calling "Belarusians, come here!". Kvitkevich said he had responded to this call and started hitting the doors. Other people also followed. 

10.25 The judge Alena Shylko has informed that the court will watch the materials and hear the witnesses on the third day of trial.

The judge is reading out the characteristics of the accused from their working places and places of residence. The characteristics are positive - the accused are characterized as good employees, who have no complaints from neighbours, Radio Liberty informs.

May 6 

17:05 Studying of case materials is over - the trial will be resumed at 10 a.m. on May 10.

16:25 Casualties' testimonies have been heard. The judge proceeded to consideration of case materials upon the casualties' consent, Radio Liberty informs.

A protocol of examination of the Square after the demonstration and description of the found objects are read out: an axe, a flag "For Nyaklyaeu!", canisters, hats, cell phones, packages with bottles.

11:40 Victims - riot policemen are giving evidence. Aliaksandr Volkau cannot say what happened in the square after the mop-up operation and recognizes none of the defendants. He did not see people beating riot policemen apart from himself. 

Ihar Zinkevich says that he accidentally hit a couple of people with a baton while defending himself. He explains that he does not remember anything as he focused on the three persons that were beating him. However, when the lawyers asked him if he would be able to recognize them he replied in the negative. 

When the judge asked if people could leave the square whenever they wanted to, he said yes. "Someone sprayed me with a fire extinguisher and I left". The audience laughed. 

Riot policemen Aliaksej Sakach and Dzianis Hushcha cannot say exactly what the demonstrators shouted, Radio Liberty reports. 

10:25 Interrogation of casualties - policemen and riot policemen - is taking place.

Skarakhod (a policeman who has already witnessed at 3 trials against Square participants) says that the demonstrators tried to break the riot police chain near the entrance to the House of Government with sticks and metal rods. They tore off his helmet and beat him in the head with fists. However, he got up and returned to the chain. After that he was sent to hospital with a brain trauma, Radio Liberty informs.

A riot policeman Siarhej Lushchyk says that he helped the riot policemen, who fell on the steps of the House of Government, to get up, as they were being beaten. Someone hit him in the head with a wooden stick and in the backside with some heavy object. Nevertheless, he got up and went on helping to prevent illegal actions.

15.50 The trial will continue at 10 a.m. on May 6.


Yauhen Sakret, Uladzimir Loban, Matsukevich, Fedarkevich, Daronin and Kazakou have been interrogated. The defendants say that there were no disorders and that it was an action of peaceful citizens.

Daronin pleads not guilty. The rest plead partially guilty, notes Radio “Liberty”.

12.36 The prosecuting official is reading out the accusation of armed resistance and the damage done to the House of the Government and policemen, reports Radio “Liberty”. The judge has mentioned 29 victims. Three of them are in the court room and the rest will arrive later.

 

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