Baranavichy: city court sides with police
On 8 February the Court
of Baranavichy City and District considered the criminal case against
Aliaksandr Vaitseshyk. Judge N. Harbarchyk found him guilty under Article 364
for alleged infliction of bodily harm to a police officer and sentenced him to
18 months of conditional imprisonment.
As we had informed, on 27 July 2011 the civil activist came to his apartment
and was met by a man in plain clothes. As it was found later, it was police major
Aliaksandr Pakhamovich, who wanted to take Vaitseshyk’s fingerprints for the
second time. When the activist asked the man who he was, the latter said that
it was him who would ask the question. Mr. Vaitseshyk tried to leave the
kitchen, but was attacked by the policeman who delivered 22 blows on his body
(as it was found by the forensic expertise).
At the trial the policeman stated that it was Vaitseshyk who had started the
fight and hit him five times. Though it was disproved by testimonies of
witnesses, the court traditionally took side of the police.
