Brest: regional court turns down Viktar Chaikouski's appeal

Viktar Chaikouski, electioneering agent of presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich during the election of 2010, appealed against the verdict of the Leninski District Court of Brest, which ruled that the case against him was to be dropped because of the end of the term of penalty execution.

Bear in mind that on the Election Day Mr. Chaikouski had been arrested for three days of charges in using obscene language in public. He appealed against the verdict at different court instances. as a result, the head of the Supreme Court reversed the verdicts of the regional and the district court and returned the case for the second trial. However, in December 2011 the Leninski District Court ruled that the case was to be dropped “because of the end of the terms of penalty”. Viktar Chaikouski disagreed with this formulation, because he considers himself innocent.

On 12 January Chaikouski stated impeachment to Siarhei Beraziuk, Judge of the Brest Regional Court, who had turned down all appeals of civil activists on all previous politically motivated cases. Predictably enough, Beraziuk dismissed his appeal, too.

Viktar Chaikouski intends to apply to the Supreme Court.