Vinahradau and Kirkevich – 4 years, Drozd, Pratasenya and Hamichenka – 3

May 5

17.10 The judge has announced the court’s decision: Kirkevich and Vinahradau will be imprisoned for 4 years and Pratasenya, Dzrozd and Hamichenka - for 3 years.

12.00 Judge Ala Bulash will pronounced sentences to the five defendants at 5 p.m. today, informs BelaPAN.

 

Ales Kirkevich has expressed a hope for “a fair decision” in his last plea.

 

 

11.10 The defendants are pronouncing their last pleas, informs Radio “Liberty”. Zmitser Drozd has compared the current situation in the country to the situation in 1938.

 

He thinks that it was a big mistake to return from Russia. He spent 4 months with 24 cellmates in a cell. TB has been diagnosed in one of them recently and the cell has been quarantined now. He thinks that people had been peaceful in the Square until policemen started batoning them.

 

Hamichenka has read out his last plea. He says that he was drunk and arrived at the square occasionally. He says that he is different and is ready to work.

 

Vinahradau has claimed that there were no mass disorders. There were no arsons, robberies or pogroms.


10.05 May 5 is the last day of the hearing. Kirkevich and Vinahradau’s lawyers and all the five accused will make their speeches today.

 

Kirkevich’s lawyer has read out an extract from a lawyer’s speech made 100 years ago. “Destroy a prison and the bricks will be used for a masterpiece”, - she says. The huge crowd was dispersed in the Square and “a small crowd was created by investigators and prosecutors”, informs nn.by.

Trial will be resumed at 10.00 tomorrow.

19.20. Hamichenka's lawyer asks to considerhim not guilty due to his health condition. Lawyers of Drozd and Pratasenia also ask to consider their clients not guilty.

18.15. Lawyers are holding speeches.

17.00. Accusation of insult of state symbols against Vinahradau has been withdrawn due to expiration of terms, nn.by informs.

16.17. The public prosecutor says that decisions of courts which considered the December 19 events as mass disturbances have already come into force. Thus, he appeals to call them this way. The lawyers object - actions of other people were analyzed at those trials.

16.15 Nasta Palazhanka, who witnessed at Sannikau's trial before, has given evidence. Her testimony has been the same as at the previous trial. She says that people behaved peacefully.

A policeman passed the judge a note with unknown contents during Palazhanka's speech.

15.45 After demonstration of video materials the judge has decided to read out the testimonies of the accused, claiming there were contradictions. Drozd used to say it wasn't him in the video. He explains that he had reasons not to trust the investigation.

Hamichenka says he did not use physical force and did not damage any property. He claims that everything had already been broken when he approached the building. He says he gave true evidence in court, Radio Liberty reports.

14.30 Photos found in Paval Vinahradau's computer are shown. Someone is burning some posters in the video - this is claimed to be an insult of state symbols. The video of something burning has lasted for 5 minutes already. Sometimes it seems that Lukashenka's image is seen in the fire, nn.by informs.

13.10 Hamichenka has recognized himself in the video. However, he does not remember hitting anything with an ice-axe. Drozd admits he hit the doors twice in despair.

Rymasheuski with a megaphone is clearly seen in the video. No sound is available. Kastusyou with a megaphone, no sound. Statkevich speaking, no sound. Khalip and Sannikau are seen in the video.

People are hitting the doors of the House of Government in the video. Fedarkevich is in front of everyone. Klaskouski is knocking at the doors, nn.by informs. Pratasenia in yellow jacket and yellow cap is hitting the doors.

It is seen in the video that the entrance to the House of Government is blocked with wardrobes and tables. People are trying to move them aside. A close-up of Klaskouski with a stick.

12.40 Witnesses who know Ales Kirkevich are speaking. A witness Kazak from Navahradak says that he also one of Vital Rymasheuski's guards, he stood near Lenin’s monument. He saw how riot police appeared in the square. He did not see who and how broke the glass in the House of Government as he was at a rather long distance at that moment. Riot policemen beat people with batons, pushed them with shields. Candidates spoke about negotiations with the authorities. Kazak guarded the space near the monument, riot policemen held back the crowd. He saw two chains of riot policemen. The second chain acted rather brutally, nn.by reports.

A Protestant Priest of Evangelical Baptist Church Paval Rudy has told about moral characteristics of Ales Kirkevich. He has called him a real Christian who holds on to Christian values strongly.

A teacher of Hrodna Lyceum has known Kirkevich for a long time. He says Ales is an honest and responsible person with strong moral values.

The court proceeds to studying video materials. No sound is available.

11.10 New witnesses have been announced, Vital Rymasheuski being among them. However, Vital is now giving testimony at Andrej Sannikau's trial. The public prosecutor Barouski refuses to start without Rymasheuski. 

A witness Uladzimir Kachahur has arrived to the court without his passport. The judge refused to hear his testimony, according to nn.by. 

A witness Darya Bakhar has arrived from Navahradak. She was in the Square; she heard the sound of breaking glass. However, she heard no appeals to storm the House of Government from anyone. 

Break until 10 a.m. on May 4.

16.58 The prosecutor wants to ask Kirkevich about something but cannot think of it. He recalls it a minute later – “How did Ales get his scar?” – “He was hit on the head with a baton”, - replies Kirkevich.

16.57 Vinahradau claims that he is not going to answer any questions.

16.56 Minsk City Executive Committee has claimed that it cannot present videos made in the Square because they do not store records for such a long time.

16.15 The sixth volume of the case is being read out.

16.10 The persecutor is reading out the search reports drawn up in the defendants’ flats.

15.34 One of “the main traumas” – Syarhei Lushchyk’s (commander of a special police troops company) injured buttocks – has not been proved either.

15.30 The number of “the insufficiently injured” has reached two dozen people. Medical experts have not proved that the members of special police troops were beaten. Some of “the victims” did not even undergo any expertise.

15.20 Discharges describing “the victims’ injuries” are being read out. Most of the traumas were light and no sick-lists were required.

15.00 A detailed enumeration of bottles from the Square has been in process for 30 minutes. There were plastic and glass bottles, small and big, with green and yellow caps, some of them were deformed and others weren’t.

14.35 The prosecutor is reading out protocols of the search of the square one by one and cadets of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have fallen asleep in the back row. According to the prosecutor, the square was covered with empty “Bonaqua” bottles, each of them was turned into a fire bottle “with white tissue half of which was in the bottle”.

14.10 The prosecutor likes one of the important exhibits a lot – “a white water-closet lid”.

14.05 The hearing has been resumed. The prosecutor is reading out the results of the search conducted in the square after the meeting. Gasoline cans, tear gas spray and rods have been mentioned.

12.52 Break until 2 p.m.

11.48 The judge continues reading out absent policemen’s evidence.

11.40 The experts have been interrogated. People can enter the court room again.

10.50 The judge has asked the audience to leave the court room.

10.48 The experts who conducted Hamichenka’s psychological expertise have arrived. They have asked not to make the results of the expertise public and to be interrogated during a private session.

10.46 Another policeman’s evidence is being read out. Insults, bad language and beating of policemen are mentioned in both cases.

10.39 Evidence of the absent witnesses will be read out. The lawyers have objected. They say that they have to appear in court. The judge has decided to read out.

10.37 "Why were they aggressive if there were no appeals for violence?”, - asked the lawyer. Davidovich does not know. Davidovich is allowed to leave because he has to appear in Partisan District Court (another storey of the same building).

10.34 "What was the aim of your presence in the Square?”, - asked the judge. Davidovich cannot answer. He says that there was a lot of information and he could not comprehend everything that their portable radio-transmitters said. He is sure that the goal was to keep the order.

10.31 According to Davidovich, they were attacked from everywhere when the cordon was broken through. Davidovich was hit with something at the front and in the face. He did not see where the break-though was.

10.26 Davidovich cannot accuse the defendants of anything.

10.12 The demonstrators tried “to affect us with words by we did not react”. Davidovich could hear somebody urging to do something from a rostrum when he was leaving the square. He got a fat lip. Davidovich was taken to hospital in the morning of December 20. He was let off after he had received medical assistance.

 

10.08 Davidovich says that they stood with their backs facing the House of the Government about 5 or 10 meters away. He says that demonstrators kept insulting them and that he saw wooden sticks and fishing rods in their hands. According to him, people linked their arms and headed towards them. They started booting their shields and managed to break through the cordon. Other members of the special police troops approached.

He says that somebody threw an iron dustbin at their shields.

10.03 Davidovich (b.1975), platoon commander of Minsk City Department of the Interior, is being interrogated. According to him, they were ordered to approach the House of the Government from the Catholic Church. They were running one by one in a column. They saw a lot of people in Independence Square. He says that they were being pushed and hit on their helmets with fishing-rods, informs Nasha Niva.


All the present have been allowed to enter the court room. There are vacant seats.


April 29. The hearing has been resumed.

16.51 A literature expert Yasep Yanushkevich is giving testimony in Belarusian. He knows Zmitser Drozd. He speaks positively of his professional qualities.

16.07 Andrej Pratasenia's brother is giving testimony. He was at a demonstration together with his brother on December 19, 2010 in the Kastrychnitskaya Square. Then they went to the Independence square. He says that when they heard the sound of breaking glass, his younger brother asked permission to go closer to the House of government and see what was happening. He allowed. Andrej Pratasenia was hit during forcing back the demonstrators. He says that they left before the main mop-up operation.

The next day Andrej told that he hit the shields several times under the influence of the crowd.

16.04 Hamichenka says that he was detained between Lenin's monument and House of Government's steps at 22.30. He did not admit guilt under an administrative accusation as he wished to "slip away". How he pleads guilty under a criminal case.

15.54 Rytsik says that he heard appeals to go away worded by the police though megaphones.

When he received the task he had information that a non-sanctioned event was taking place in the square.

He says there were attempts to break through a riot police chain by 7-10 young people.

15.46 According to the witness, Hamichenka was screaming mottos when he was being detained. The witness detained Hamichenka together with his colleague Harbianok. They were ordered to detain people near the entrance to the House of Government.

15.34 Next witness - Aleh (surname has been unheard), policeman. He recognized Hamichenka, he saw him in the Independence Square. He was on duty on December 19, first in the reserve, then he moved to the Independence Square from the side of the Red Catholic Church at about 22.00. He saw a crowd behind Lenin's monument. He says that people were screaming and moving. He saw fish rods in their hands.

His squad had no shields; they arrived to maintain public order. At first they did not arrest anyone. Then they detained people for "breaking the public order".

15.07 Next witness - Aliaksandr Harbianok, works in the security department. Says that he detained Hamichenka. Saw no violence in the Independence Square.

14.20 An expert of Minsk investigation administration Jury Saroka is giving testimony. He was "keeping a record" of public order violations near McDonald's.

When people were leaving Kastrychnitskaya Square, he followed them. He was in an "unclear condition" in the Independence Square.

He did not see what was happening near the doors of the house of Government. He says someone hit him in the nose, probably with a fist. He concussed for several second. When he regained consciousness he realized he was standing on one knee.

He says that when the policemen forced the demonstrators back, the latter resisted.

He went to the traffic way and started recording everyone who crossed the road in forbidden places. At about 24.00 he was delivered to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' hospital.

14.17 Trial is resumed after the break.

13.30 Break till 14.15

12.45 Aliaksandr Volkau is giving testimony. He says there were about 50 people near the House of Government. He did not see people breaking the windows. He was hit in the head several times with a stick, and then an unknown person hit him in the knee. Volkau did not address to the doctors, Radio Liberty informs.

12.10 Siarhej Lushchyk, who got a hematoma on his backside, starts giving testimony. He is wearing a black uniform.

12.00. None of the casualties has any claims against the accused.

11.41. Casualty Perapejka tells about a group of strong men who shouted "Beat the cops, let's go!", but in more rude words. "It was almost impossible to stop them, but we did it!", - Perapejka boasts, Nasha Niva informs.

11.25. Casualty Ziankevich absolutely lost interest to the trial - he is reading a sports newspaper, sitting in the first row. The judge and the guards are okay with this.

 11.20 Sakach says that he has never seen any of the accused and doesn't know them.

11.10 The judge has not allowed the accused Zmitser Drodz to ask a question to the casualty-policeman.

10.55 Sakach is giving testimony. He was in the reserve forces since 16.00 on December 19 behind the Palace of Republic. At about 22.00 there was an order to go in the direction of the House of government. He says there were blows in the shields by fists and feet. 

10.45. Casualty Zinkevich is giving testimony. He says he was standing at the steps of the House of Government, his back to the entrance, trying to hold back the crowd. He saw people storming the doors, heard the sound of a breaking glass. He was hit in the head many times, lost his shield. Someone directed a fire extinguisher's stream into the ground near him. He got a chemical burnt. He saw sticks and a metallic rod in people's hands, Radio Liberty informs.

10.20 Two rows of seats are occupied by the casualties. Two more - by the students who have been taken to the court. Only 3 rows have been left for relatives and others.

10.03 Policeman Skarakhod is giving testimony. He was performing his duties in the Kastrychnitskaya square and in the Independence Square.

He says that he was standing between the active participants and the crowd. He says that someone knocked him down to the ground, torn off his helmet and hit him in the head 2-3 times. He addressed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' hospital. Diagnosis - brain trauma. He recognizes none of the 5 accused - they did not beat him.

10.00 The trial has started. Casualties-policemen have been summoned to the court. Some of them have been led to the Partyzanski district court of Minsk to witness in Andrej Sannikau's case, Radio Liberty informs.

April 28. Court trial is resumed.

16.58 A break has been announced until 10 a.m. on April 28.

16.42 The lawyers have asked what violations of the order he saw. “People started a ram attack; they were breaking the panes and damaging the door”.

16.20 Shauko cannot accuse the detained of anything. Dzozd has apologized to the cameraman.

"I try not to approach people by closer than one meter with a camera. They get irritated”, - confessed Shauko.

16.15 Shauko saw Hamichenka without an ice-axe on the threshold of the House of the Government. Then he saw Drozd. Some citizens tried to hit him and Drozd was among them. “However, he was not the first one and he was not the last one”, - noted Shauko. The second camera was slightly damaged.

16.10 Shauko did not know any of the detained before December 19. He does not know who broke his camera. Having received another camera, Shauko headed for Independence Square.

16.07 Witness Shauko – senior criminal expert of Minsk police – is being interrogated. He was “a cameraman of the secret television” in the Square.

15.34 Vinahradau has refused to give evidence. The judge is reading aloud his evidence and is complaining about his bad handwriting.

15.28 Kirkevich has refuted his guilt. The prosecutor claims that Ales made one hit.
15.11 Ales Kirkevich is giving evidence. He was a member of Vital Rymasheuski’ security service. He was in the square to support his candidate.

14.55 "I did not hit the policemen. I just covered a stranger’s camera.  I could not expect him to be a policemen”, - claims Drozd.
14.47 Drozd assumed the offensive:  “The motive of my accusation is wrong. I saw that the election was undemocratic”. He is asking rhetorical questions to the prosecutor appealing to Lukashenka’s statements including those made in 2006. “But you do not dispute that election, do you?” – asked the irritated prosecutor. “Why not? I do”, - claimed Drozd. The present started applauding, reports “Nasha Niva”.

 "If I had been going to bring the bayonet found at my house during the search, I would have brought it instead of the loudspeaker”. “I did not join any mob, I joined the Belarusian people”, - said Drozd.

14.40 "I have the instinct of self-preservation. We understood that people with water cannons were behind the door and that we would not be able to enter the building”, - says Drozd. 
14.35 Zmitser Drozd is being interrogated. He defends his position calmly and insists on it explaining that he came to the meeting on purpose. He came to wait for the results of the election as it is usually done in civilized countries. Nobody did anything to the policemen who were standing along the avenue, people just walked past them. “They did not scratch a single car, they were walking carefully and driving inspectors helped the people by stopping the traffic. There were no other policemen”. 

Drozd had a loudspeaker.

14.30 He explains his state of intoxication. He drank a bottle of beer in October Square at first. Then he bought “a small one” near the GUM. He drank 4 liters of beer on that evening.

14.15 Hamichenka continues his story. There are 3 thousand people at the action.

14.10 Hamichenka’s evidence. He was simply “walking” along October Square at 16 p.m. He did not know that mass events were planned there. He joined the demonstrators at the begging of the meeting and did not hear the police asking people to leave. He did not bring any objects there.

He broke off a piece of a downpipe in Independence Square. He approached the door and hit policemen’s shields a few times. The panes had already been broken. 

"I had no intention to enter the House of the Government”, - says Hamichenka. “Why did you hit the door?” - “I was drunk”.

He has partially admitted his guilt but refutes beating anyone: “Oh my, that’s impossible!”.

He does not know how he got hold of the ice-axe, reports Nasha Niva.

13.00 Rest until 2 p.m.

12.05. The victims will be invited to court at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Only one of them is present – Shauko. Most of the others were mentioned in Myadzvedz, Breus and Gaponov’s cases. The defendants are being interrogated now, informs Nasha Niva.


11.58 Andrei Pratasenya is giving evidence. He says that he came to the peaceful demonstration in October Square on purpose, informs Radio Liberty.

11.55 Drozd, Kіrkevіch and Vіnahradau have not pled guilty of taking part in mass disorders. Hamichenka has partially admitted his guilt. Pratasenya has pled guilty.
 
11.46 The prosecutor is reading aloud the accusation where fire bottles and pointed rods are mentioned. Names of injured policemen are listed. The same policemen were mentioned at the previous hearings.

11.40 The court has denied the motions. There was one more motion – to study the materials of observation cameras in October Square and on the way to Independence Square. The court has also denied it.

11.39 The accused have been presented and their lawyers have made motions. Drozd’s lawyer Harbatsyuk has invited Yazep Yanushkevih as a witness. Hamichenka’s lawyer Matskevich has asked to invite the psychologists who conducted the expertise to court, informs Radio Liberty.

11.13 The hearing has begun.

 

10.40 People have been allowed to enter the court room. The room is small and there are about 50 seats. Many members of the Young Front including Mikola Dzemidzenka have managed to enter the court room. Diplomats and relatives are also present, informs Nasha Niva.

The first four people are accused of participation in mass disorders and Vinahradau is also accused of disrespect for the state symbols.

 

Photo by: Nasha Nіva