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Advocate of sole entrepreneurs’ rights sentenced to 15 days in jail, goes on hunger strike

Alyaksandr Makayew, a prominent advocate of sole entrepreneurs’ rights, was sentenced to 15 days in jail as a judge of Minsk’s Maskowski District Court found him guilty of petty hooliganism at a hearing on January 12.

In particular, Mr. Makayew was accused of using foul language in public, the activist’s wife, Krystsina, told BelaPAN.

Minutes after the ruling was pronounced, Mr. Makayew said that he was beginning a hunger strike to protest what he called an “unfair” sentence.

The activist planned to attend sole entrepreneurs’ rally in Minsk on January 10 but was grabbed in the street together with a six-year-old son earlier that day. The two were taken to the Frunzeski district police department where Mr. Makayew was interviewed by the department chief for two hours. At around 2 p.m., Mr. Makayew and his son were brought home, with police officers staying outside to prevent him from leaving the house. An officer reportedly told the small business activist that he would be immediately arrested if he tried to do this.

He was ordered to appear in the Minsk city police department on January 12. When Mr. Makayew arrived at the police office, they took him to the Maskowski District Court where the trial took place.