European Parliament doubt terrorists’ trial was fair

MEPs refer to reports of numerous human rights organizations claiming that “the trial in the Supreme Court was unfair and the investigation was conducted with numerous human rights violations and neglect of important evidence testifying to the fact that the two people were innocent”.

It is noted that Kavalyou and Kanavalau were deprived of access to their lawyers, that there was evidence of their torture and there were no traces of blasting assemblies found on their clothes. The project of the resolution claims that the important evidence mentioned during the trial has already been destroyed. Kanavalau’s family were intimidated and deprived of contacts with the outer world. Plainclothes policemen kept watching their flat all the time.

For reasons given, MEPS urge “the authorities to carry out a full, fair and impartial investigation to provide justice to the victims of the horrible terrorist act”.

The project condemns the death sentence pronounced to Kavalyou and Kanavalau, urges Lukashenka to pardon them and impose a moratorium on capital punishment. Members of the Eastern Partnership have also asked Russia to call on Belarus to abolish the death penalty.

The document also urges the regime to release all political prisoners including Mikola Statkevich, Andrei Sannikau, Ales Byalyatski, Pavel Sevyarynets, Zmitser Dashkevich and hunger striker Syrahei Kavalenka. Persecution of human rights activists, representatives of the democratic opposition, the civil community and independent mass media has also been condemned.

The resolution project debate followed by a voting will start at 5 p.m.  (Belarus time).

Photo by — Reuters