UCP representative in Central Election Commission got 7 days in prison

Mikhal Pashkevich, one of the leaders of the “Young Democrats”, youth organisation of the United Civil Party is sentenced to 7 days of arrest by the Tsentralny district court of Minsk.
The UCP activist was detained on 28 June near the Minsk railway station, when he was going to meet with his friend. Militia officers traditionally accused him of “using foul language in public”. The activist was detained after the UCP political council had chosen him as an observer in the Central Election Commission.
Judge Ryta Shahrai sentenced the oppositionist to 7 days of arrest for “hooliganism”. There were fears that Pashkevich can be taken into custody for a long term after an administrative arrest. Together with other participants of the Case of 14, in April Pashkevich was sentenced to two years of restraint of liberty (without sending to penal institutions) for participating in the action of solidarity with individual entrepreneurs, held in Minsk on 10 January.
UCP leader Anatol Lyabedzka commented on the arrest of the observer in an interview to the Charter’97 press center:
“Fortunately, we don’t know exactly if a criminal case has been instituted against Pashkevich. Lawyer Svyatlana Harbatok has learnt today from the Department of Internal Affaires of the Kastrychnitski district of Minsk that Mikhal Pashkevich was levelled an accusation over article 339 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (hooliganism). This article provides up to two years of imprisonment. It’s difficult to say now if this information is precise. The court acts within the frames of the Administrative Code now. Of course, it is politically motivated and unlawful. Moreover, the decision of the court on the entrepreneurs’ action hasn’t come into force yet, o we can’t relate administrative arrest of Mikhal Pashkevich and the Case of 14. The sentenced will come in force after hearing of the causational appeal.
The today’s arrest of Pashkevich for us is evidence of how the words of Lukashenka and Yarmoshyna about “the most democratic and freest electoral campaign” do not correspond with their acts. Pashkevich was chosen as an observer in the Central Election Commission. We connect his arrest with the beginning of the electoral campaign. Mikhal will observe not elections but a piece of sky through the prison bars.”