Mikalai Statkevich was denied registration of a nominating group

Central Election Commission made this decision against a former presidential candidate and now a jailed Belarusan opposition leader because of his imprisonment.

Election officials on July 20 denied the registration of Mikalai Statkevich’s nominating group for participating in the upcoming October 11 presidential election because he is in prison, informs RFE/RL.

Statkevich's wife, Maryna Adamovich, told RFE/RL on July 20 that the denial of registration would be appealed to the Supreme Court.

On July 20, Belarus's Central Election Commission registered five nomination groups -- raising to eight the number of groups allowed to try to field a candidate.

Let us recall that Statkevich is serving a six-year prison sentence for what a Belarusian court said was plotting riots after the December 2010 presidential election.

Angry demonstrators alleged electoral fraud and conducted mass protests in Minsk after election officials announced that President Aliaksandr Lukashenka had won 80 percent of the vote.

Statkevich denies organizing riots, saying the charge is politically motivated.