A Belarusian protester, who was hit by a police bus at one of the November protests in Minsk, was brought to trial on charges of malicious hooliganism, reports the Tut.by portal.
Under this article, 34-year-old engineer Stepan Chikilev faces up to six years in prison. The prosecution believes that before the accident, the man deliberately scratched cars and did not follow the rules of the road, thereby endangering himself and expressing “obvious disrespect for society.”
In turn, the witnesses in the case, whose identity the court did not disclose to “ensure security,” said at the trial that the accused after the accident was provided with assistance and moral support, and he himself showed unreasonable aggression towards the security forces.
Chikilev himself claims that he was dragged into the bus, put a bag over his head and put on his knees. “The officer pressed his knee on his chest so that it was difficult to breathe. Then they hit the back of the neck, poked him in the back with a shocker,” said the accused. The verdict in the protester’s case will be announced on February 5. The defense asked the court to acquit Chikilev, while the prosecutor requested three years in prison.
Earlier, the court of Orsha district of Belarus sentenced the man who insulted President Alexander Lukashenko to one year and three months in a general regime colony. The case was initiated due to a post on a social network, the court also ruled to confiscate the instrument of the crime – the computer system unit.
In Belarus, protests have continued for the sixth month since the presidential elections on August 9, 2020. The actions are harshly suppressed by the police and riot police. Tens of thousands of people were detained, and many spoke of torture and beatings in isolation wards. Four people were killed in clashes with security forces.