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Convicted post-election protester Malchanaw moved to prison before appeal hearing

Convicted post-election protester Alyaksandr Malchanaw has been moved from a detention center in Minsk to a correctional institution in Mahilyow, human rights defenders said with reference to the young man's mother.

On March 2, a judge of Minsk's Frunzenski District Court sentenced Mr. Malchanaw, 22, to three years in a medium-security correctional institution for his participation in the December 19 anti-government demonstration in the Belarusian capital.

Mr. Malchanaw appealed the sentence and was to be held in the pretrial detention center until the appeal was heard. However, earlier this month he asked the authorities for a transfer to the correctional institution before the appeal hearing.

Mr. Malchanaw was arrested at his home in Barysaw, Minsk region, on January 6. He was charged with participation in a mass riot and desecration of state symbols.

During the trial, the prosecution presented video footage showing the man breaking glass in a door of the House of Government and waving a white-red-white flag, standing on the roof of a bucket loader tractor.

Mr. Malchanaw also admitted to having taken down two state flags from the KGB head office on Independence Avenue.

In his final speech, Mr. Malchanaw regretted his actions during the protest and said that he would not do this again. //BelaPAN