Brest: trials of participants of 29 June silent protest action

On 30 June Vasiliuk, a judge of the Leninski District Court of Brest, considered the cases against 8 participants of the protest action of 29 June.

Bear in mind that more than 100 participants of the action ere detained after 7.30 p.m. Many of them were detained with their wives and children. 57 people were charged under Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, “participation in an unauthorized mass event”. The last detainee was let out of the Leninski District Police Department at 2 a.m. on 30 June. Nine people were also detained till the trial which took place on 30 June.

Let us present to your attention the results of monitoring of the trial by Brest human rights defenders:

1. Maksim Bohdan, unemployed, was charged under Article 23.34 and fined 175,000 rubles.

According to the defendant, his rights and the reasons for the detention weren't explained to him during his detention by the riot police. He was kept a the Leninski DPD till the trial. Andrei Pyshkin, Chair of the criminal-executive inspection of the Leninski DPD, and Aliaksei Levanovich, Deputy Chair of the DPD, testified against him.

2. Dzianis Bunko, graduate of the juridical faculty of the Brest State University, was charged under Art. 23.34. The policemen who detained him didn't introduce themselves. He was kept at the Leninski DPD till the trial and was given no copy of the violation report. Andrei Pyshkin, Chair of the criminal-executive inspection of the Leninski DPD, and Aliaksei Levanovich, Deputy Chair of the DPD, testified against him too.

3. Aliaksandr Horn – charged under Article 23.34. The trial was postponed to 7 July after he solicited for inviting two witnesses from his side. According to him, he was detained for “identification”. At the Leninski District Police Department the police stated he was suspected in participation in the protest action. Mr. Horn wasn't given a copy of the violation report and was kept at the Leninski DPD till the trial.

4. Ivan Patoka, unemployed, was charged under Art. 23.34. According to him, he had learned about the unauthorized action only after the detention. He has been detained by a police major and hasn't seen the “police witnesses” before. He was kept at the Leninski DPD till the trial and was given no copy of the violation report. Andrei Pyshkin, Chair of the criminal-executive inspection of the Leninski DPD, and Aliaksei Levanovich, Deputy Chair of the DPD, testified against him.

5. Aliaksandr Ramanovich – a teacher of physics at secondary school #9 in Brest, was charged under Art. 23.34 and fined 140,000 rubles. According to him, police officers didn't introduce themselves and told him to get into their car, after which he was kept at the Leninski DPD. He was given no copy of the violation report. Andrei Pyshkin, Chair of the criminal-executive inspection of the Leninski DPD, and Aliaksei Levanovich, Deputy Chair of the DPD, testified against him.

6. Mikhail Sots, unemployed, was charged under Art. 23.34 and fined 175,000 rubles. The policemen who detained him didn't introduce themselves. He was kept at the Leninski DPD till the trial and was given no copy of the violation report. Andrei Pyshkin, Chair of the criminal-executive inspection of the Leninski DPD, and Aliaksei Levanovich, Deputy Chair of the DPD, testified against him.

7. Zdzeuski (the surname may be incorrect) – a photographer, charged under Art. 23.34. The policemen who detained him didn't introduce themselves. He was kept at the Leninski DPD till the trial and was given no copy of the violation report. Andrei Pyshkin, Chair of the criminal-executive inspection of the Leninski DPD, and Aliaksei Levanovich, Deputy Chair of the DPD, testified against him.

He solicited for inviting witnesses and watching video shots from the action in order to confirm that he hadn't taken part in the action. As a result, the trial was postponed to July.

8. An unknown man – charged under Art. 23.34. Was kept at the Leninski DPD till the trial and was given no copy of the violation report. Andrei Pyshkin, Chair of the criminal-executive inspection of the Leninski DPD, and Aliaksei Levanovich, Deputy Chair of the DPD, testified against him. The trial was postponed to 7 July because of his solicitation.

Bear in mind that testimonies against all 8 detainees were given just by two policemen – Andrei Pyshkin and Aliaksei Levanovich. According to the judge's commentary, they “watched the crowd” in the sectors that had been determined by the administration of the Main Police Department. There weren't any civil or political activists among those judged on 30 June – just dissatisfied people or occasional passers-by.