Mikalai Statkevich released

The number of Belarusian political prisoners has reduced by 2. Puhavichy District Court has taken a decision about grant of parole for Mikalai Statkevich (head of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Hramada)).
The politician was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for organization of mass protest actions against the falsification of the results of the presidential elections and referendum in Minsk in the autumn of 2004. The referendum allowed Lukashenka to participate in the presidential election an unlimited number of times.

Some time later an amnesty reduced the term of imprisonment for Statkevich by a year. He was to be released in summer.