Viasna observers jailed in Mahilioŭ
Aliaksandr Burakou and Ales Burakou (aka Alex Raycon), activists of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” in Mahilioŭ, have been sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention each.
Aliaksandr Burakou was found guilty under Art. 17.1 of the Administrative Code (“petty hooliganism”) over an incident near the Lieninski district police department last night, when the independent observer and freelance journalist allegedly pushed a woman, which Burakou’s associates say was a provocation organized by police officers.
During the hearing, Burakou said the woman rested her elbow on his shoulder and then fell down shouting. The activist says that the sting was aimed at preventing his work as an election observer of “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”.
Earlier, he was detained by road police on bogus grounds.
- Aliaksandr Burakou after his detention by road police. August 6, 2020
In another trial in Mahilioŭ, Ales Burakou was found guilty of participating in an illegal mass event (Art. 23.34, Part 3 of the Administrative Code). Viasna’s activist was detained last afternoon by plain-clothed police officers. He is also an election observer of “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”.