Along with Cihanouski and Statkevich, Ihars Losiks, Vladzimir Cihanovičs, Dmitrijs Popovs and Arcjoms Sakavs are also being tried.
The independent and unregistered human rights center Vyasna (“Spring”) reports that the Gomel District Trial is taking place in closed remand in a remand center in Gomel.
Defendants’ lawyers were ordered to sign that they would not provide information on the progress of the case.
Videoblogger Cihanouskim was barred from running in the presidential election last August. His wife, Svyatlan Cihanouska, then applied for registration, running in the elections and is considered the real election winner.
Statkevich is an opposition politician who has twice served prison terms for criticizing the Lukashenko regime.
Popov, a Russian citizen, was the social network moderator of Cihanouska’s YouTube channel, Sakavs was the video operator of that channel, and Cihanovich and Losik are bloggers.
Diplomats from several European countries, as well as relatives of the accused, have arrived at the remand center, where the accused are reporting, the Gomel portal “Silnye Novosti” reports.
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