Investigative Department of Preliminary Investigation of Minsk police completed a preliminary criminal investigation into the riots in Minsk on the day of presidential elections on December 19. As reported at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus on April 5, the investigation found that organizers of the riots on December 19 about to commit a coup d'etat in the country.
«The investigation obtained ample evidence of an attempt to change the constitutional order of the Republic of Belarus by prior agreement with the representatives of foreign governments and organizations, which were pursuing the ultimate goal of implementing a coup,» said the Interior Ministry.
According to authorities, when investigating criminal cases against the participants and organizers of the riot, the role and degree of participation of each defendant in the events of December 19 was established. The court is to determine the degree of responsibility for their actions.
In addition, the Interior Ministry has explained that data from the investigation materials in respect of foreign organizations and citizens will be addressed in a separately; requests for legal assistance have already sent to foreign countries. «The investigation will continue in this direction, with regard to defendants in foreign countries as well,» said the Interior Ministry.
As Telegraf previously reported, eight people have already been convicted in the case on December 19. Five defendants in criminal cases have been sentenced to prison under different terms, two have been fined, and one defendant has been sentenced to imprisonment without direction in the open-type institution.
