Babaryka’s son gets eight years in prison

July 5, BPN. A judge in Minsk has sentenced the son of a former presidential hopeful to eight years in prison on charges denounced by rights activists as politically motivated, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports.

State Control Committee officers arrested Eduard Babaryka and his father, former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka, in June 2020, weeks before the August 9 presidential election.

The Minsk Regional Court began hearing the case against Eduard in May. He pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption, staging mass riots and incitement to hatred.

The Supreme Court sentenced Viktar Babaryka to 14 years in prison on corruption charges, which he denied, in July 2021. His whereabouts have been unknown for months.