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Minsk City Court upholds two-year prison term for ailing opposition politician Dzmitry Bandarenka

 

The Minsk City Court on Friday upheld a two-year prison sentence for ailing opposition politician Dzmitry Bandarenka, said BelaPAN.

Speaking after the court turned down the man's appeal, wife Volha Bandarenka said, "We had a slight hope that the sentence may be changed, as Dzmitry was the only one sent to prison on a charge under the Criminal Code's Article 342 [the organization of group actions that are in gross violation of public order and active participation in them]. But on the whole the outcome of the appeal hearing was an expected one."

The woman said that it was yet unknown when her husband would undergo back surgery. "He must be entered onto the surgery waiting list. I was told that there are some difficulties with escorting him to the hospital. He will also have to be put into a separate ward with guards," she said.

Mr. Bandarenka, a former campaign aide to presidential candidate Andrey Sannikaw, was convicted by a district judge in Minsk on April 27 in connection with a post-election protest staged in Minsk on December 19, 2010.

The activist has been held at the National Prison Hospital in Minsk. His right leg is partially paralyzed and he is said to be in constant pain because