MINSK -- Three Ukrainian Evangelical Christian activists who served 15 days in a Belarusian jail are being deported to Ukraine.
Ukrainian Consul in Minsk Oleksandr Novosyolov told RFE/RL that Ukrainian nationals Vladyslav Yermolov, Leonid Nemerchuk, and Ashot Sarkisian were released from custody on April 6 and were set to be expelled the same day.
They were detained in Minsk on March 22 and sentenced to 15 days in jail after a court convicted them of swearing in public.
The lawyer of a Protestant Christian group in Minsk, Syarhey Lukanin, said the conviction was obtained on the strength of false testimony.
The three were detained on the same day that they had planned to conduct public Bible studies in Minsk.
