On February 10, a Shklou court considered the case of Ryhor Kastusiou, the leader of the Belarusian People’s Front party.
The politician was tried for his participation in December’s protests against the further integration of Belarus and Russia. Judge Svyatlana Barantsava declared Kastusiou guilty and imposed a fine of 810 Belarusian rubles (about $400) on him.
The trial kicked off on December, 28, but the hearings were postponed several times due to the absence of key witnesses.
However, the Minsk-based policemen who were expected to testify against the oppositionist were reached via Skype. They confirmed that they had seen Ryhor Kastusiou during the unauthorized rally in Minsk on December, 20.
According to the politician, the rally was of peaceful nature; its participants did not violate public order. In court, he also stressed that Belarus’ Constitution guaranteed the right to peaceful assembly.
