Belarusian entrepreneurs call for legal appraisal of businessmen’s cases by Eastern Partnership

The criminal cases of Vaukavyssk businessmen Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau, Uladzimir Asipenka, as well as that of Artsiom Dubski, may receive legal appraisal in the framework of the Eastern Partnership cooperation project, the BelaPAN news agency reports quoting human rights activist Ihar Lednik.
According to Mr.Lednik, the Belarusian authorities are trying to manipulate the opinions of European politicians pertaining to the criminal cases initiated after a series of protest rallies against the new staff-employment restrictions. ‘Martin Finke, German criminal law expert, has upon request of the Belarusian authorities studied the case materials. He arrived at a conclusion that there were no legal violations during the investigation. However, Mr.Finke’s conclusions were solely based on the materials provided by the prosecution, with no respect for the defence, being illegal, since the case has not yet reached court. By initiating the expert examination the Belarusian authorities pursued political aims: as a result, the conclusions were sent to the EuroParliament and a number of EU embassies to Belarus,’ says the human rights activist.
Mr.Lednik also said that the prosecution of Autukhovich, Liavonau and Asipenka endangers the successful implementation of the Eastern Partnership Programme in Belarus.
‘We demand an expert appraisal of the cases of Autukhovich, Liavonau, Asipenka and Dubski in the framework of the Eastern Partnership cooperation project,’ said Ihar Lednik.
The demand signed by over 200 Belarusian entrepreneurs has been sent to the Swedish embassy and the European Commission office in Minsk.