An appeals court in Belarus has rejected a complaint filed by the lawyers of Sergei Tikhanovsky, a jailed opposition-minded blogger and husband of ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, about an extension of arrest, his lawyer, Viktor Matskevich, told Sputnik on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2020) An appeals court in Belarus has rejected a complaint filed by the lawyers of Sergei Tikhanovsky, a jailed opposition-minded blogger and husband of ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, about an extension of arrest, his lawyer, Viktor Matskevich, told Sputnik on Wednesday.
"The court reviewed the complaint about the extension of the detention and waived it," the lawyer said.
According to Matskevich, the legal team has repeatedly asked for Tikhanovsky's release since he has not participated in any investigative action since June, but all of the requests have been consistently rejected and the investigative team has been growing extensively.
The lawyer opined that the situation might be the result of Tikhanovsky's case being linked to the cases of several other people.
Tikhanovsky and many other popular Belarusian YouTube bloggers were arrested over their involvement in the May 29 preelection picket in the city of Hrodna. Tikhanovsky initially planned to run in the presidential election, but because he could not submit an application in person while under arrest, his wife Svetlana ended up registering as a candidate on his behalf.
According to the lawyers, Tikhanovsky was transferred from a detention facility in Minsk to Zhodino in the early hours of Tuesday � his birthday. Later in the day, opposition supporters gathered near the Minsk facility to wish the blogger a happy birthday.
"I visited Tikhanovsky in Zhodino. He was transferred overnight from Monday to Tuesday. He feels more or less well. The conditions are alright. He used to have a small cell [in Minsk], now the cell is larger," Matskevich said.
The facility's authorities are treating the blogger well, "with no bullying and harassment," as stated by the lawyer.
Tikhanovsky is still banned from meeting with his family because, according to Matskevich, investigators fear it might impact the inquiry.
Mass protests began in Belarus on August 9 following a presidential election that saw the incumbent president reelected for a sixth consecutive term. Although the electoral authorities claim Lukashenko collected over 80 percent of the vote, the opposition believes that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya won the election.
Police cracked down on protesters during the first several days of the unrest, but have since halted the excessive use of force. More than 6,700 people were detained during the initial phase of the protest. According to the Belarusian Interior Ministry, three people died and several hundred others sustained injuries during that period, including more than 120 security officers.
