Ihar Rynkevich Asks to Punish Stranger for Death Threats

On 28 February an incident took place in a subway pedestrian crossing short before the departure of a lawyer Ihar Rynkevich to his client. While going for a meeting with Aliaksandr Kazulin’s brother Uladzimir Mr. Rynkevich was approached by a man in sportive closes, about 30 years old. ‘Lawyer, you won’t get to your goat today’. On saying this, the man quickly went away.

‘I came to my car, left my bag there and Uladzimir Kazulin and I tried to find that man. However, we didn’t succeed. A controller of the tube station let us come to the platform, but a train was already departing. Nevertheless, she said to us, that similar persons had come to the platform showing certificates of law machinery workers,’ Ihar Rynkevich said.

Mr. Rynkevich reported the incident to the police patrol of the tube station. On return to Minsk the lawyer filed an appeal with detailed explanations to an inspector of the security service of Minsk tube. Here he stated that he could recognize the man and asked to find him and punish under article 185 of the Criminal Code – ‘forcing to non-execution of professional duties with the threat of violence’.

In 1995 hooligans assaulted Ihar Rynkevich, possibly for his public activity. One of them hit him in the face and smashed his glasses. The smithereens got into one of Rynkevich’s eyes. The doctors did an operation to restore his eyesight. On 2 March 2006 the riot police almost broke his neck near Minsk Kastrychnitski borough police department. As a result the lawyer spent 22 days on sick-list. He still has a scar on his cheek after it.