Detainees Charged with Activity on Behalf of Unregistered Organization
On 23 January Volha Sudzko and Kanstantsin Liasunow were detained in Homel with several copies of the fly-sheet at “Prudkowski” market. The fly-sheet “condemned” the orange revolution because citizens of the Ukraine woke up in a free state, could independently elect president and their Supreme Court didn’t depend on president and advised to “watch Belarusian TV, read Sovetskaya Belorussiya state newspaper and be glad with the happy life which is a consequence of the wise rule of one-man rule”. The fly-sheets were issued by the unregistered organization “Lemon”.
On 2 February the administrative commission of Chyhunachny borough of Homel decided to punish Volha and Kanstantsin despite their explanations that they had come to a market for food-staffs and had seen people reading some papers. The detainees said they only took several sheets for themselves:
-- We thought it was a promotional action and it happened to be about politics. We didn’t even finish reading when the police came.
The commission believed to the youngsters and decided to fine each of them two minimal wages so that they would not read any “trash” next time. However, the last word in this case belongs to the court.
On 3 February Homel Chyhunachny Borough Court started the consideration of the administrative cases against Sudzko and Liasunow who are charged with activity on behalf of the unregistered organization “Lemon”.
Judge Kozyraw listened to the defendants’ witnesses and then ruled to interrogate the police witnesses who composed the detention reports and the witnesses who were invited to sign the report after the detainees refused to do it. At the trial Volha and Kanstantsin said they didn’t know much in jurisprudence, but the judge didn’t offer propose them to take advocates. On the contrary, he sarcastically asked them whether they knew their rights or he had to remind them.
The next sitting was appointed on 15 February.
