The Supreme Court of Belarus has announced the date of the start of the consideration of the criminal case against Viktor Babariko, oppositionist and former top manager of Belgazprombank, RIA Novosti reports.
The first meeting on the banker’s case will take place on February 17 at 11:00 local time (the same as Moscow time) in the building of the Moscow District Court of Minsk. The trial will be held in open mode with the involvement of a panel of judges.
Babariko is charged under Part 3 of Article 430 (“Taking a Bribe”) and Part 2 of Article 235 (“Legalization of Criminal Proceeds”) of the Criminal Code of the Republic. According to investigators, the oppositionist is involved in the withdrawal of several hundred million dollars abroad. Together with him, six more managers of Belgazprombank are involved in the case, all of them admitted their guilt.
The oppositionist has been in the KGB pre-trial detention center since June 18. All real estate of his family was seized, and he himself was not allowed to participate in the presidential elections. The Belarusian authorities believe that “Russian puppeteers from Gazprom” were behind him. Babariko himself links his imprisonment with political persecution.
In Belarus, protests have continued for the sixth month since the presidential elections on August 9, 2020. The actions are harshly suppressed by the police and riot police. Tens of thousands of people were detained, and many spoke of torture and beatings in isolation wards. Four people were killed in clashes with security forces.