The Homel regional court in southeastern Belarus on June 28 sentenced three members of one family to lengthy prison terms on charges of treason, inciting hatred, extremism, and failure to report a crime. Vasil Prokharau was sentenced to 11 years in prison, his wife, Larysa, and their son Paval were handed eight-year prison terms each. A co-defendant, Ruslan Prakharenka, received 10 years in prison, while the sentence of another co-defendant, Fyodar Aksyonenka, remains unknown, as the trial that started on June 20 was held behind closed doors. A source told RFE/RL that the charges were linked to taking pictures of various sites around Belarus. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.
