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MINSK (Reuters) A Belarussian court jailed leading human rights activist Ales Belyatsky for 4 1/2 years for tax evasion on Thursday, sparking an outcry in the European Union, particularly in neighboring EU countries which unwittingly aided canada goose uk black friday his prosecution.

Human buy canada goose jacket rights activist Ales Belyatsky sits Canada Goose Online in a guarded cage in a courtroom in Minsk November 24, 2011. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko

Belyatsky, 49, heads Vesna 96, the best known rights group in the former Soviet republic, which has campaigned for scores of opposition activists prosecuted by the government of President Alexander Lukashenko.

Canada Goose Parka The EU immediately denounced the sentence as politically motivated and said canadian goose jacket it had targeted Belyatsky and his Vesna co workers because of their support to victims of repression. Canada Goose Parka

canada goose Cries of rang out in Canada Goose Coats On Sale the Minsk courtroom from his supporters when judge Sergei Bondarenko handed down sentence, saying it was canada goose clearance impossible for him to pass a lesser punishment. canada goose

The outcome, in the face of fierce condemnation of the trial in the West, supported canada goose store the view that Lukashenko has written off relations with the EU for now and is not relying much on Western help to see him through a financial crisis.

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canada goose coats on sale FOR HUMAN RIGHTS The EU, in its statement issued by the bloc foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said the sentence passed on Belyatsky was symbol of the ever intensifying crackdown on civil society in the country. canada goose coats on sale

Human rights activist Ales Belyatsky sits in a guarded cage in a courtroom in Minsk November 24, 2011. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko

canada goose store Ales Belyatsky is a sentence for human rights in Belarus. It Canada Goose Parka confirms that the current regime does not respect basic standards of civil rights and freedoms, Poland foreign ministry said in canada goose uk shop a statement. canada goose store

cheap Canada Goose charge of tax evasion was merely an excuse to again attack the non governmental sector, which the regime wants to take full control of, it said. cheap Canada Goose

Canada Goose sale Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis said: case must be seen as part of a broader pattern of harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders in Belarus. He called for Belyatsky release. Canada Goose sale

Belarus imposes tough restrictions canada goose on the financing of non governmental organizations and their activities that virtually rule canada goose black friday sale out any financial help from abroad.

canada goose clearance sale The furor that ensued led to a public apology in August by Warsaw and also caused high level embarrassment in Lithuania. canada goose clearance sale

Canada Goose online Senior EUofficials had earlier called for Belyatsky release, saying the charges against him were politically motivated pretext to target his https://www.radondenvercolorado.com important work to the benefit of victims of repression. Canada Goose online

canadian goose jacket The prosecution had asked for a five year sentence to be handed down on Belyatsky, who listened to his sentence from inside a metal cage in the buy canada goose jacket cheap courtroom. canadian goose jacket

Vesna 96 says the money held canada goose coats on sale by Belyatsky in Poland and Lithuania belonged to the organization and was set aside for paying for human rights activities and supporting political prisoners and their families.

Canada Goose Jackets It had latterly been used to support families of opposition activists arrested in a police sweep last December after mass street rallies against Lukashenko re election canada goose coats for a fourth term. Canada Goose Jackets

Two opposition leaders are still in jail for their part uk canada goose outlet in those protests.

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buy canada goose jacket cheap Additional reporting canada goose online by canada goose factory sale Gabriela Baczynska in Warsaw and Justyna Pawlak in Brussels; Writing by Richard Balmforth; Editing by Louise Ireland buy canada goose jacket cheap.