Brest: Viktar Chaikouski appeals against unlawful arrest

Viktar Chaikouski, deputy chairperson of the national public association “Perspective”, filed an appeal with the Brest Region Court.

The appeal concerns the detention of Chaikouski on the election day, 19 December 2010. That day he was taken to the Leninski District Police Department of Brest and charged with disorderly conduct (use of obscene language in public). As a result, the Leninski District Court of Brest sentenced the activist to 3 days of arrest.

Mr. Chaikouski spent a year trying to get the verdict reversed. Eventually, the head of the Supreme Court reversed the rulings of the region and the district courts and returned the case to the Leninski District Court of Brest. However, the case got lost for several months. Only on 16 December 2011 Viktar Chaikouski was mailed a ruling of the Leninski District Court that the administrative case against him was dropped due to the end of the term of penalty execution.

Mr. Chaikouski disagrees with this formulation – he insists that he hadn't committed the incriminated offense at all. It's worth mentioning that during the trial the court hadn't heard the testimony of the witness who had allegedly confirmed hearing Chaikouski swear dirtily in public.

In his appeal to the Brest Region Court the activist states that the case against him must be dropped for another reason – because of the absence of the offense, and he must be acquitted on all charges.