"Nonpolitical" hooliganism sentences: 10 people in 10 minutes, no jail
Euroradio has visited the Law Courts to see the trials of "apolitical" hooligans, drunkards and trash mouths.
10 people were delivered to court from Akrestsina Street. They were detained at the week-end for "drinking in public places" and other kinds of petty hooliganism - these nine men and one woman had spent a day or two in jail before the trial.
The guests from Akrestina were told to wait in the corridor. They had to wait for over two hours - the court room was needed to consider some other case.
Our journalist was not allowed to enter the office of the judge were the trials were being held. He was forbidden to use his dictaphone and camera despite the fact that such trials are open and anyone can attend them. But it did not prevent him from noticing that the judge needed 10 minutes to pronounce sentences to the whole group. All of them were fined.
Administrator of an opposition group in social networks Pavel Yeutsiheyeu stood trial for "petty hooliganism" (swearing) in the same court on August 30. Different sentences were pronounced to him and his "colleague" Andrei Tkachou back then.
One of them was sentenced to 5 days in jail and the other - to 7. Tkachou pled guilty and Yeutsiheyeu pled not guilty. But both of them will appeal the court's decision", - said human rights defender Alesya Yakubouskaya.
Photo by: str3.by
