Criminal case against Andrei Kim ready for trial
Investigation of the criminal case against Andrei Kim, acvtivist of treh unregistered youth group “Initiative”, is over. Andrei was detained on January 21st during dispersal of the entrepreneurs’ rally. He is charged with threatening a road policeman. When Andrei looks through the case materials, the case will be sent to court.
Zmitser Luhin, investigator of Centralny prosecutor’s office, who works with the case, says Andrei will start looking through the case materials on Monday, March 3rd.
“In fact, the case will already be sent to court. May be, even on Monday, when he reads the materials. Preliminary investigation is over. Reading? As he wishes. He may want a day to read the materials, or two… As he wants it. According to my materials, he is in the pre-trial isolation center”
Andrei Kim was detained on January 21st during dispersal of the entrepreneurs’ rally. In the beginning he was arrested for 10 days for participation in an unauthorized prostest action. After he had served his term, he was taken to the pre-trial isolation center. This time Andrei was accused of threatening the road policeman who had detained him.
The prosecutor’s office refused to release Andrei before trial. Yesterday, February 26th, Andrei Kim turned 22. His mother and members of the public committee in defense of Andrei Kim, made a petition to the authorities asking to release Andrei on bail.
Andrei’s mother was rejected a meeting with her son because of the secrecy of investigation. But they allowed a food package for his birthday. Tatsiana Kim says:
“I handed over a small food parcel for him: apples, oranges, and a waffle cake”.
According to the Code of the Criminal Procedure, the case will be sent to court when Andrei reads through the case materials. The trial is likely to start in March. Andrei Kim faces up to 6 years of imprisonment.
