Vitsebsk: Prosecutor vs. HR Activist

At 10 a.m. on 24 July Vitsebsk regional cassation court considered the criminal case against the human rights activist Valery Shchukin. 1,5 months ago the judge Natallia Huryian satisfied the suit of the member of Vitsebsk regional election commission Tatsiana Buyevich for compensation of moral harm. Shchukin was found guilty of having insulted members of election commissions during the last election to local deputy soviets and fined about 580 US dollars. The reason for bringing the criminal case against him was that Shchukin distributed leaflets with criticism of the work of a circuit commission on election of deputies to Vitsebsk regional deputy soviet. At the cassation trial Shchukin expressed his dissatisfaction with the previous verdict and insisted on his innocence. At the same time, the state prosecutor Talkachova demanded to increase the punishment and sentence Shchukin to administrative arrest.