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Vasil Parfyankow’s lawyer appeals the sentence

Ihar Papkowski, the defense lawyer for opposition activist Vasil Parfyankow, has appealed the four-year prison sentence handed down to his client in a district court in Minsk on February 17.

As Mr. Papkowski told BelaPAN, on February 24, he filed the appeal with the Frunzenski District Court, which should send it to the Minsk City Court.

The 27-year-old Parfyankow was found guilty of participation in a “mass riot” over the December 19 post-election protest.

Judge Volha Kamar of the Frunzenski District Court also ruled that the young man should pay 14 million rubels ($4,660) for the damage that he allegedly did to the House of Government in Independence Square during the protest.

Mr. Parfyankow, who was the first of more than 40 people charged in a so-called riot case to stand trial, insisted that he had really participated in the protest in Independence Square on the night of December 19, but had not broken any doors or windows of the House of Government.

According to Mr. Papkowski, he does not consider his client’s guilt proven. The prosecution’s video evidence examined at the hearing did not show that Mr. Parfyankow had broken doors or windows or had any tools in his hands for doing that, the lawyer said.

Mr. Parfyankow was a member of the campaign team of candidate Uladzimir Nyaklyayew during the past presidential race. He was arrested on January 4.