Preparatory sitting of Supreme Economic Court regarding the case of Vaukavysk businessman Mikalai Autukhovich
On 16 November Judge Katsiaryna Karatkievich chaired the preparatory sitting of the Supreme Economic Court regarding the case of the Vaukavysk businessman Mikalai Autukhovich, the date of the hearing was identified – November 30.
A month and a half ago the Presidium of the Supreme Economic Court cancelled all of the previous court rulings regarding the fines imposed on Mikalai Autukhovich, against which he had been struggling when free. In particular, he held three hunger-strikes of protests, two of which were joined by the taxi drivers who supported the businessman.
The presidium decided to send the "fines" cases for additional consideration, ruling that it will be reviewed in Minsk by the Supreme Economic Court. However, on 14 October in Hrodna the Office of the Financial Investigation Department in Hrodna Region launched criminal proceedings for the non-payment of taxes and arrested the businessman on the same day.
The arrested Mikalai Autukhovich started the hunger-strike behind bars, which he has observed for 34 days. The hunger-strike in support of their colleague was declared by five people from Vaukavysk on November 14, yet another businessman joined the strike on November 16 - Anatol Dzieshka, and now a total of six people are on hunger-strike.
On Monday November 14 the defense lawyer Nadzeia Stankievich wrote a petition to the prison governor so that the hunger-striker be immediately hospitalized and provided immediate medical assistance, however, no answer has been provided so far.
On November 15 the Hrodna investigator Mikalai Alikhver, in charge of the case of the businessman Mikalai Autukhovich, visited Vaukavysk and interrogated the 14 year old daughter of the businessman Katsia. The girl was interrogated in the office of the school principal. The investigator asked where the girl’s mother Aliena Autukhovich is now and whether she phones her.
He wants to find Aliena Autukhovich, who went away for medical treatment, to ask her questions relating to the criminal case against Nika-trans, the company she founded.
Mikalai Alikhver made a report of the interrogation of Katsia Autukhovich and told her to sign it.
