BANDAZHEWSKI CASE INVESTIGATOR TO RECEIVE $550 FROM NEWSPAPER AND JOURNALIST

Kastrychnitski borough court ruled to exact 800 thousand rubles (about $400) from BDG publisher and 300 thousand rubles ($150) from BDG journalist. This money is to compensate for moral harm done to Viachaslaw Tserakhovich, investigator of Prosecutor’s General office. It took the court over a year to make a decision. On October 1 Judge Tsorakh ruled to partially satisfy the suit of the investigator, who demanded 10 million rubles from the publisher and the journalist. Besides that, the BDG will have to disclaim a number of articles “Doctors’ Case”, “Altruism in Bribery Case”, and “Embarrassing Questions”. In 2001-2002 BDG journalist Iryna Makavetskaya published articles about “doctors’ case” – trial over Homel Medical Institute staff, who allegedly took bribes from students. The trial received international response. There were many unclear aspects in the criminal case. The public opinion tended to support professor Bandazhewski believing he was persecuted for his scientific studies proving small radiation doses have destructive impact on health of people who live on Chernobyl contaminated territories. In her articles journalist Iryna Makavetskaya voiced numerous facts of inhuman treatment of people under investigation and even usage of psychotropic drugs on pro-rector Uladzimir Rawkow.
The court recognized a number of facts in Makavetskaya’s articles invalid. According to the court, the investigator did not refuse Homel Medical Institute pro-rector Rawkow medical aid and meetings with wife.
“We are going to appeal against the court decision, -- says Iryna Makavetskaya, -- we have all documents proving these facts. We are going to fight for the truth”.