Pavel Sievarynets was sentenced 3 years of forced labour camp

BCD leader Pavel Sieviarynets was sentenced to 3 years of forced labour camp; he was set free in the court. Iryna Khalip and Siarhej Martseleu, who were judged together with Pavel, received 2 years of imprisonment with arrest of judgement for 2 years. Relatives and friends, including supporters of the BCD, which came into court with flowers, could meet and embrace Paul's right in the courthouse.

In his first interview after his release Pavel Sieviarynets said he did not recognize the sentence as fair. He will fight for the liberation of other political prisoners, in particular already today he is going to visit a number of courts. When asked about tortures Pavel confessed that for him personally the most severe torture was spiritual when he was not allowed to attend church and meet with a priest.

Now within three days Sieviarynets needs to return to the place of his residence in Vitebsk and wait for the transfer to a labour camp. After liberation Pavel immediately went to the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Minsk. In the KGB prison he asked for a meeting with a priest more than 10 times. Pavel Sieviarynets was accused of organizing and active participating activities that breach public order (Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code).He was arrested on 20 December 2011 directly after the presidential elections and since then he was kept in the KGB prison in Minsk.

Another BCD co-chairman and ex-presidential candidate, Vital Rymasheuski, is still undergoing court trial procedures. He is also being tried under the Article 342 of the Criminal Code.

The Belarusian Christian Democracy implemented a successful presidential campaign in 2010. According to the data of the Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS, http://www.iiseps.org) 3,7 % of the Belarusian population voted for the BCD presidential candidate, Vital Rymasheuski. Vladimir Niakliaeu got 8,3 % of the voters according to IISEPS; he was followed by Andrei Sannikov with 6.1% of votes. Yaroslav Romanchuk got 3.2% and Ales Michalevic - 2.7%. Nikolai Statkevich, according to the poll, got 1.7% of the votes, Ryhor Kastusiou - 1.6%, Viktor Tereshchenko - 0.6%, Dmitri Uss - 0.5%. All Lukashenko's opponents gathered together 28.4% of the votes, while 5.1% of people voted against and 3.8% of the respondents refused to answer the question. Lukashenko himself got 51,1 % of votes according to the Institute.

In Minsk Vital Rymasheuski got 5.9% of votes according to the IISEPS; he is preceeded only by Yaroslav Romanchuk with 6.3%. Andrei Sannikov got in 5.9%, Niakliaeu - 4.9% and Statkevich 3%.