Yury Istomin imprisoned for distribution of independent press in Hrodna

The head of the local affiliate of the United Civil Party Yury Istomin has been imprisoned for distribution of independent editions. Our reporter Syarhei Apanovich comes up with more details:

“Let me remind you that a dozen UCP representatives were detained for distribution of “Narodnaya Vola” and “Svaboda Belarusi” in Hrodna on September 30. Young people were giving out newspapers at Hrodna markets “Karona”, “Paudnyovy” and “Centralny”.

Protocols for violation of the Administrative Code (“using bad language”) were drawn up against the detained activists.

Two activists – Andrei Istomin and Andrei Yanusheuski – were left in Kastrychnistki District Department of the Interior for one day until the trial. However, Hrodna judges pronounced sentence only on Istomin today.