Malchanau and Novik admit guilt, while Atroshchankau does not (online)

Euroradio's correspondent Vital Ruhain is on duty in the Frunze district court of Minsk, which is to consider the case of Andrej Sannikau's spokesman Aliaksandr Atroshchankau. Two more cases are considered in connection with it - Zmitser Novik and Aliaksandr Malchanau also stand trial today.

At the same time, Andrei Yeliseyeu was sending us information from the Maskouski district court of Minsk, which has resumed the trial against the Russian citizens Ivan Haponau and Artsiom Breus, suspended on February 22. An entrepreneur Dzmitry Miadzvedz stands trial together with them. All the trials have been postponed till March 10 after a brief consideration.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 17.25. The court has announced a break till 10 a.m., March 2.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 16:17. Demonstration of video materials from the square has started (filmed by the police). The lawyers have asked to postpone the demonstration to another court trial, but the judge has refused.

In the video – Rymasheuski is giving an interview to foreign journalists. He is saying in an interview at the Independence square that “there will be no force scenarios from our side”. 

Frunze district court of Minsk, 16:06. Shalko did not see the demonstrators to have resisted to the riot police, he only saw their attempts to resist with fish-rods – the only things he saw in their hands.

Shalko has identified Atroshchankau – he allegedly pushed the crowd towards the doors, Shalko also heard Rymasheuski urging people to calm down, while Sannikau and Statkevich – vice versa. The latter, according to Shalko, approached the building, looked inside, smiled and left.

Shalko has said that when the demonstrators went out to the Ave from the Kastrychnitskaya Square, someone grasped the camera out of his hands and threw it to the ground. After that, he got a new camera and resumed filming.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 15.31. Another witness is being interrogated – Mikalaj Shalko, an expert of the criminalist commission of Minsk city executive committee. He filmed the events at the Kastrychnitskaya Square and Independence Square on December 19, 2010.

Shalko has said that Statkevich urged to go to the President’s Administration “to throw someone out of his armchair”, “I don’t remember exactly”- the witness has said.


Frunze district court of Minsk, 15.30. Novik has asked Antonau why he did not conducted any attempts to stop breaking the glass, being a policeman. Antonau answered that he was fulfilling just one task – filming the events.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 15.25. Euroradio’s journalist has not been admitted to the court hall after the break, as well as some other journalists. The guards have claimed there is no room for everyone, however, there has been enough room before the break and no more people have arrived.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 15.12. Antonau has claimed that the demonstrators grasped the wooden shields from the policemen’s hands.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 15.02. A witness Dzianis Antonau – a representative of  the law-enforcement authorities - is being interrogated. He was filming the events on December 10 since 20.00 at the Kastrychnitskaya Square.

Antonau has claimed that he saw Atroshchankau, Klasvouski and Novik and that they tired to break into the House of Government, in a crowd. However, he also claimed that Atroshchankau wasn’t in the first row of people, and he did not hit the fences. The policeman does not remember which jacket Atroshchankau had on, but he recognized the “wavy” hat.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 14.48. The next witness – a KGB officer Valiantsin Kazyra – is being interrogated. He has recognized the person who tore the state flag off the KGB building on Dec. 19, in Malchanau.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 14.37. A KGB representative Vital Paliakou is being interrogated. He was on duty on December 19, 2010. He was supposed to maintain security at the admittance point to the KGB building.

Paliakou says that he saw a large group of people which was moving along the Independence Ave after 20.00 on December 19. He entered the building in order not to provoke the crowd even more. He has said he saw no fights and did not see anyone throwing bottles.

Paliakou has also said that he went out of the KGB building to take off the white-red-white flag and hang back the state one upon the order of his boss.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 14.26. Interrogation of another witness – Malchanau’s friend Valiantsin Palityka, has started.

Palityka says he does not remember whether Malchanau called him from the Square. He answers that these events took place long ago so he does not remember much, to the majority of questions. “I do not remember the unnecessary information ", - Palityka has said.

The public prosecutor has noted that there are contradictions in Palityka’s testimonies now and during the preliminary investigation. A protocol of the preliminary investigation has been read out. According to it, Malchanau did tell him about his participation in the action. The witness insists that he does not remember this conversation as it happened long ago.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 14:05. The trial has been resumed. A student from Barysau Siarhej Sazonau, Malchanau’s friend, is being interrogated first. Sazonau has informed that Malchanau used to be a member of the organization “Zubr”. The representative of the accusation asks about Malchanau’s political views. Sazonau has informed that Malchanau did call him from the Square on December 19, but has given no details.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 13:05. The court has announced a break till 14:00.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 13:00. An expertise recorded that there were no traces of beating on Novik’s body, which he could have received at the Independence Square. He is trying to prove that he did not participate in clashes with the police this way. Novik served in the army, has gratitude remarks in his personal file. He partly performed the functions of a security guard in the Embassy. He did not see Atroshchankau at the Independence Square.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 12:53. Novik claims that he saw Atroshchankau just once, at Andrej Sannikau’s picket. He asked his phone number then, to convey his economic program to Sannikau through Atroshchankau. Novik answers biographical questions. He works as a driver in the UAE Embassy. He would like to get a higher position and resign from this job.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 12:50. Novik’s interrogation continues. He says he is ashamed of his actions and that they were ill-considered.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 12:45. Novik claims that after the first chain of riot policemen left, all the doors at the entrance of the House of Government were broken. Then he happened to be on the stairs and kicked the wooden shields several times. Then he tried to move them with his hands, but failed. He had no special equipment whatsoever in his hands. Then he left and did not approach the House of Government anymore as “the demonstration was no longer peaceful”. He realized that the action might soon be dispersed and left as soon as he had heard the first appeals not to yield to provocations.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 12:40. Novik continues his testimony. He says that he saw Andrej Sannikau and his wife coming to the House of Government in order to hand in some protest to the CEC. They came over and knocked but no one responded. He says he went there after Sannikau as he was interested.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 12:30. Interrogation of Novik starts. He says that he came to see the demonstration as he had never seen such actions before. He found out about the demonstration from the media and came there without any clear aim. He saw that when the crowd went out to the traffic road, no one insulted traffic policemen, and they did not set any obstacles to the crowd. He says that they waited for about 40 minutes for the sound equipment to arrive at the Independence Ave. He says that he had not such an aim as opening the doors. He claims everything was peaceful.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 11:40. Malchanau. He says he did not see the speakers. He only recognized Kaliakin. Then he saw the crowd to move towards the doors again. There were a lot of people this time. He heard the sound of glass breaking. The doors were broken. He hit the wooden shield several times, then took a piece of broken glass out of the door, so that it didn’t hurt anyone. The public prosecutor has asked Malchanau what he did with this piece of broken glass. Malchanau has answered he threw it over the fence.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 11:35. Malchanau. Hit the doors several times but did not damage them. Kicked the doors once. Having heard that it was a provocation, walked back from the doors for about 100 meters.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 11:30. Malchanau continues answering the public prosecutor’s questions. He says that he ran over to the second flag afterwards, tore it off and threw to the ground. Then climbed onto the tractor to see how many people there were. He didn’t see either the beginning or the end of the column. Then he met the people he knew and noticed a group of people heading for the House of Government, and joined them.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 11:20. Malchanau says that he came to the Kastrychnitskaya Square at about 20.00 on December 19. Then he headed for the independence Square. When he was walking by the KGB building he heard some guys talking that they would tear the flag off it if they had been taller. As Malchanau is taller he decided to tear the flag off, by emotions. It was an act of hooliganism, Malchanau says.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 11:15. Malchanau is being interrogated. He says he came to Minsk to take part in the action, by car, which belonged to a person whose surname he didn’t know. He took the decision to go on December 18, as he disagreed with the president’s policy. The public prosecutor has asked if someone suggested him to take part in the action. Malchanau replies in the negative.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 11:09. Malchanau has admitted his guilt partly, Atroshchankau has claimed himself innocent.

Maskouski district court of Minsk, 11:07. Consideration of Dzmitry Miadzvedz’s case has been resumed. The judge has announced that the trial is postponed till March 10, as well as the trials against Breus and Haponau. The court has motivated the break by the necessity to study the new materials of the case.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 11:05. The public prosecutor says that Atroshchankau damaged the doors of the House of Government at about 22.15, having hit it with his fist at least once. There is laughter in the hall. 

Frunze district court of Minsk, 11:03. The public prosecutor claims that Novik took an active part in the mass disturbances, having hit the doors of the House of Government no less than 29 times. 

Frunze district court of Minsk, 10:58. The public prosecutor proceeds with Malchanau's accusation. According to him, Malchanau tore off two flags from the KGB building, under the influence of alcohol. He hit one of them against the ground. Then he participated in the mass disturbances, upon the conspiracy which involved two more people. 

Frunze district court of Minsk, 10:56. Novik has written in a claim that he sincerely admits his guilt and has given testimony. However, the court has refused to change the restraint against him.

Maskouski district court of Minsk, 10:51. Court trial on the case of Breus and Haponau has been postponed again, this time it is scheduled on March 10.  The judge has announced this break to study the set of documents with regard to injured policemen, provided by the public prosecutor.  

Maskouski district court of Minsk, 10:50. Novik files a claim asking to change the restraint. The public prosecutor objects. The judge has left to the consultation room again.

Maskouski district court of Minsk,10.46 Malchanau stands trial in accordance with Article 370 of the Criminal Code (insult of state symbols), Atroshchankau and Novik - in accordance with article 293 (mass disturbances)

Frunze district court of Minsk, 10:44. A civil claim against Malchanau, Novik and Atroshchankau has been terminated.

Maskouski district court of Minsk, 10:33. According to the public prosecutor, Haponau and Breus committed armed resistance to the police, beat the policemen and tried to get into the House of government. One of the policemen got concussion, another one had his lips smashed.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 10:30. Malchanau, Novik and Atroshchankau have been briefly interrogated. Their lawyers have filed a claim on termination of the case upon the civil claim on the broken glass in the House of Government. The judge has taken a break and left to the consultation room. 

 Maskouski district court of Minsk, 10:29. 15 casualties - representatives of the police - appeared in the case of Breus and Haponau. The state public prosecutor has told about 15 casualties - representatives of the law-enforcement authorities - and provided the judge with a set of documents with regard to each of them (a copy of the interrogation protocol, a copy of medical expertise's conclusion). His claim to consider them casualties has been satisfied and attached to the case.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 10:20. The judge Alena Rudnitskaya has arrived, the trial against Dzmitry Miadzvedz starts.

Frunze district court of Minsk, 10:15. Trial on the case of Dzmitry Miadzvedz has not started yet. The public prosecutor is there, but the judge has not arrived.

Maskouski district court of Minsk. Accusations against Breus and Haponau, presented by the public prosecutor, remained unchanged - participation in the mass disturbances (Part 2 Article 293).

Maskouski district court of Minsk. The public prosecutor mentions the names of 6 policemen, who were injured at the Independence Square in the evening on December 19, in his speech. Russian diplomats, human rights defenders and journalists of big TV-channels are present at the trial. 

In the photo: Aliaksandr Atroshchankau's portrait, an action of solidarity with prisoners of conscience.

Photo by: www.svaboda.org.