Attention! Criminal action brought against Uladzimir Malei, lawyer of the Human Rights Center Viasna and a deputy of the Malarytsa District Soviet, for libeling the Chair of the Malaryta District Executive Committee

On 15 February Uladzimir Malei, lawyer of the Human Rights Center Viasna and a deputy of the Malaryta District Soviet, was summonsed to the procurator’s office of Malaryta, where the procurator Bilitski handed him a statement of criminal action brought against him “for disseminating knowingly libelous and deceitful information printed in the news bulletin “Our Word” about Kazimir Lapich, Chair of Malaryta District Executive Committee. The criminal case was initiated on the basis of Part 2 of Art. 188 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

The case concerns the deputy request prepared by U. Malei (also printed in the deputy’s bulletin “Our Word”), in which he pointed out that A. Niakhaieu had illegally appropriated the officially provided apartment in Malaryta after being transferred to a new position (Chair of Ivatsevichy District Executive Committee). Malaryta District Executive Committee even did not require him to leave the officially provided apartment in view of the terminated employment agreement. Kazimir Lapich, the current Chair of Malaryta District Executive Committee, took no measures necessary to remedy the illegal situation but chose to accuse Uladzimir Malei of libel.