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Fashion designer Fashion designer Sasha Varlamaw on trial in Minsk finally has MRI scan on trial in Minsk finally has MRI scan

The trial of ailing fashion designer Sasha (Alyaksandr) Varlamaw will resume in the Leninski District Court in Minsk on Wednesday, now that he has finally had a magnetic resonance imaging scan.

On February 21, Judge Nadzeya Navitskaya announced that there would be no court session the following day because Mr. Varlamaw would be having an MRI scan.

The judge ordered a break in the trial for the same reason the previous week, but Mr. Varlamaw failed to get an MRI scan because all appointments for February 15 had already been booked.

During recent sessions, Judge Navitskaya continued hearing testimony by witnesses described by the prosecution as "victims" in the case. Most of such witnesses, including models and fashion designers, said that they did not consider themselves to be victims and had nothing to accuse Mr. Varlamaw of. Some revealed that they had made accusations against Mr. Varlamaw under pressure from investigators.

Mr. Varlamaw, 57, who has been in detention for nearly two years, underwent a spine surgery in July 2012 and was registered as having a second-degree disability last fall.

When asked by Judge Navitskaya about the state of his health on February 4, the first day of his trial, Mr. Varlamaw said that it was difficult for him to stand and sit.

Held in custody since May 20, 2011, Mr. Varlamaw stands accused of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation of property, tax evasion and office abuse. //BelaPAN