“Rail partisans” go on trial behind closed doors in Homiel

September 27, BPN. The Homiel Regional Court has started a trial in a criminal case against Dzianis Dzikun, Dźmitryj Ravič and Aleh Małčanaŭ from Svietłahorsk, accused of arson of a railway relay cabinet in late February.

Authorities branded all three defendants as “terrorists” and added their names to the corresponding list on June 17.

They face a number of criminal charges, including creation and participation in an extremist group.

Sabotage on the Belarusian railway started after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 as a form of antiwar protest. The goal was to slow down the transportation of Russian military equipment through Belarus to the warzone.