Former Belarus Leader Fined For Taking Part In Opposition Gathering

Belarusian Ex- President Stanislau Shushkevich (file photo)

Former Belarusian President Stanislau Shushkevich has been fined after being found guilty of taking part in an unsanctioned opposition meeting.

On May 24, the Central Court in Minsk fined Shushkevich the equivalent of $320.

Shushkevich took part in a meeting of the Belarusian National Congress -- a union of the country's several opposition groups -- held in the capital's Yanka Kupala Park on May 15.

The gathering was not officially sanctioned by Minsk authorities.

Shushkevich, 81, led Belarus from the time of the former Soviet republic's declaration of independence in 1991 until he was ousted from power in 1994.

He is known for his criticism of Belarus's current President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

With reporting by BelaPAN and Interfax