Ivan Kruk Sentenced to 6 Months of Arrest

The member of the United Civil Party and Belarusian Helsinki Committee Ivan Kruk was accused under article #364 of the Criminal Code - violence towards policeman. The criminal case was brought in February 2006, on the eve of the presidential election, and was investigated for three months.

On 15 May Lida District Court held the last sitting on the case. It’s worth mentioning that the court rejected all 10 petitions that were passed by Kruk’s lawyer. The testimonies of policemen and other witnesses differed, but the court accepted the police testimonies as true. The main accusation was that the activist smashed his own computer and resisted to the police during it.

In his last word Mr Kruk pointed at the evident political motivation of this case. He said that the time would come when the case would be reconsidered and those who were really guilty would bear responsibility for the purposeful criminal persecution.

The judge Siachko announced the verdict - 6 months of arrest. That’s what the prosecutor asked to give to Ivan Kruk. Mr Kruk was also sentenced to pay 200 000 rubles to the policeman Paruk who demanded to exact from him 1 million rubles.

Soon the verdict will be appealed to Hrodna Regional Court. The restraint to the activist till consideration of the case in Hrodna Regional Court is written undertaking not to leave Lida. So, he will be free at least during the 10 days during which the court is to consider the case.