Trial of Public Activist Siarhei Liashkevich Appointed on 25 May

According to www.hrodna.by

A criminal case was brought against the public activist Siarhei Liashkevich long ago. At first he was taken to Hrodna investigative isolator, then to his native town, Shchuchyn and on 26 April – back to Hrodna. Mr Liashkevich has been kept behind bars for more than 60 days already. On 27 April the case was passed to Shchuchyn Town Prosecutor’s Office. The preliminary date of the trial is 25 May.

Siarhei Liashkevich is accused of preparation to terrorist activity (article #293 of the Criminal Code) on the basis of confession of Aliaksandr Burdzei, who told the police that Siarhei had been preparing him to terrorist actions.

Before this ?#152;confession’ Burdzei was sentenced to 2,5 years of corrective labor for theft of building materials, which he then sold for 1 000 US dollars that later was spent on alcohol. It’s quite interesting that the theft took place long ago before the accusation of S.Liashkevich and later Burdzei also had a fight with the police.

This makes us think that Burdzei wrote his ?#152;confession’ under pressure. The police could promise to decrease his prison term for it. Siarhei’s mother Iryna Liashkevich says that the case against her son reminds of those brought in the 1930-ies when anyone could be imprisoned on delation. She is also anxious about the son’s health (Liashkevich has chronic bronchial asthma). Shchuchyn isolator has no windows and no ventilation and Siarhei’s cellmates smoke.