Criminal Case Brought as a Result of Protest Action of Businessmen in Hrodna

According to the preliminary information received by Human Rights Center Viasna today the procurator’s office brought a criminal case upon Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (organization of group actions that violate the public order or active participation in them). The case was brought on the fact of the “violations of the public order” by stopping the traffic in the center of Hrodna during the yesterday’s protest action of businessmen.

Article 342 of the Criminal Code provides such punishments as fine, up to six months of arrest, up to three years of personal restraint or jail. It’s worth mentioning that it’s the second criminal case that has been brought upon this article for the last six months. The first case was brought on the fact of the protest actions of 18 and 19 October 2004 in Minsk against the rigged national referendum and election. No persons have been charged on this case yet, but the investigators still interrogate witnesses.