Renowned educator sentenced to three years of house arrest

May 25, BPN. A district court in Minsk has sentenced Jaŭhien Liviant, a co-founder of the 100 Ballov education center, to three years of restricted freedom, a form of house arrest, Radyjo Svaboda reports.

Judge Kaciaryna Muraška presided over the proceedings. Human rights defenders labeled some of her previous decisions as politically motivated.

Besides Jaŭhien Liviant, the case involved his wife Julija, a former teacher, their daughters Halina and Hanna, Hanna’s husband Mikita Drozd, as well as 100 Ballov co-founder Alaksiej Ivanoŭ and a certain Alaksandra Ensajn.

All of them were charged with public order offences in connection with 2020 protests against election fraud. Julija, Halina and Alaksiej have been sentenced to two-and-a-half years of restricted freedom, and Alaksandra Ensajn (Vilčyckaja) to 18 months, Narodnaja Vola reported.

Human rights activists declared Jaŭhien, Julija and Hanna Liviant, as well as Drozd, political prisoners. They were arrested in December.

In April, the State Control Committee’s financial investigations department said six criminal cases were opened after a probe into the activities of 100 Ballov, alleging that its co-founders evaded taxes. It is unclear whether the tax evasion charge has been dropped.