The Supreme Court of Belarus refused to release the former presidential candidate and ex-chairman of the board of the Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko from the jail, RIA Novosti reports.
The court rejected the defense’s petition to transfer the politician to house arrest, explaining this with the opposition’s intentions to hide from the investigation and obstruct justice. “There are no grounds for changing the measure of restraint,” said presiding judge Igor Lyubitsky.
Former rival Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the presidential elections is accused under part 3 of article 430 (“Taking a bribe”) and part 2 of article 235 (“legalization of proceeds from crime”) of the Criminal Code of the republic. According to investigators, the oppositionist was involved in the withdrawal of several hundred million dollars abroad. Together with him, six more managers of Belgazprombank are involved in the case, all of them admitted their guilt.
In addition, the Belarusian authorities believe that “Russian puppeteers from Gazprom” were behind the politician during the preparation for the elections. Babariko himself connects his imprisonment with political persecution.
In Belarus, protests have continued for the seventh month after 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 died in clashes with security officials.