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Belarusian Rights Activist Sentenced To Three Years In Prison


A Belarusian court on August 12 convicted human rights defender Andrey Bandarenka on charges of hooliganism and assault and sentenced him to three years in prison.

Bandarenka is accused of assaulting people in three different incidents. He denies the charges.

He is the leader of Platform Innovation, a group involved in defending the rights of inmates in Belarusian prisons.

Bandarenka, 41, has been in police custody since his arrest in Minsk in April. His trial began in July.

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