MINSK. July 5 (Interfax) - The Minsk Regional Court has sentenced Eduard Babariko, the son of former Belarusian presidential candidate Viktor Babariko, to eight years in a penal colony, the state agency BelTA said on Wednesday.
"Eduard Babariko, the son of former Belgazprombank board chairman Viktor Babariko, was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony. Babariko Jr. was found guilty of tax evasion. The trial began on May 22, 2023. The criminal case was heard by the Minsk Regional Court during an off-site hearing held at the Minsk District Court," the report said.
Eduard Babariko and his father were detained on June 18, 2020. Eduard Babariko has been in detention since then. He served as the head of Viktor Babariko's election headquarters.
Viktor Babariko served as chairman of Belgazprombank's board beginning in 2000. He worked in that position until May 12, 2020, when he decided to run for president of Belarus. The ex-banker was soon charged with leading an organized criminal group. According to investigators, the managers of Belgazprombank, acting in the interests of a number of commercial entities, received money illegally from representatives of these organizations between 2004 and 2020. Unlike the other individuals implicated in the case, Viktor Babariko has not admitted his guilt.
On July 6, 2021, the Belarusian Supreme Court sentenced Viktor Babariko to 14 years in prison.