Supreme Court rejects appeals in government overthrow conspiracy case

November 29, BPN. The Supreme Court has upheld the 10-year prison sentence for the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) Chair Ryhor Kastusioŭ, his son-in-law Dźmitryj Antončyk wrote on Facebook.

Judge Uładzimir Davydaŭ also upheld the sentences against the other defendants in the high-profile case: 11 years in prison for Belarusian-born US lawyer Juryj Ziankovič, 10 years for literature critic and political scientist Alaksandr Fiaduta, and two and a half years each for accountant Volha Hałubovič and truck driver Dzianis Kraŭčuk.

Ziankovič, Fiaduta and Kastusioŭ were found guilty of “conspiracy to seize state power in an unconstitutional way.”

Ziankovič’s other offenses included incitement to hatred and leading an extremist group. The lawyer had signed a pre-trial agreement with investigators, pleaded guilty and helped investigators gather evidence against other defendants. This usually leads to a reduced sentence.

Fiaduta pleaded guilty but denied “base motives.” Kastusioŭ, who is suffering from cancer, pleaded not guilty. He said he had participated in Zoom calls involving other defenders as a listener.

Hałubovič and Kraŭčuk were convicted of gross violations of public order.

Authorities have failed to arrest so far the other suspects in the case, namely psychiatrist Dźmitryj Ščyhielski, former police official Ihar Makar, as well as Alaksandr Pierapiečka, Pavieł Kułažanka and Vital Makaranka.