Protesters Against Battery Plant Convicted In Brest

One activist claimed health deterioration.

The Leninski district court of Brest held trials on the cases of four protesters against the battery plant, who were detained last week, Radio Liberty reports.

Activist of the European Belarus civil campaign Andrei Sharenda was fined for 15 base fees (BYN 367.5) for participating in an unauthorized “mass event”. Valer Faminski and Ales Abliak were fined for 10 base fees each (BYN 245).

Abliak filed a petition to hold the administrative proceedings in the Belarusian language. Judge Aliaksnadr Semianchuk rejected the petition, saying that there were two state languages in Belarus.

The trial of one of the leaders of the protesters, Dziamyan Lepiasivich, was postponed till October 26 at his request. Lepiasevich stated that he felt unwell, his hearing and eyesight deteriorated. He explained that he regarded as torture the fact that there was insanitary conditions in the cell of the detention facility, dim light, he had to share the cell with a dirty tramp, there was no water, and the fan was humming.

Lepiasevich, Abliak, Faminski and Sharenda were detained at the end of last week for taking part in a protest against the battery plant, which took place on October 14.

Human rights activists believe that these were preventive detentions in order to stop them from participation in the protest on October 21.