Slonim: trial of BCD activist Volha Pansevich postponed

The trial of activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Volha Pansevich was to have started at 10 a.m. on  5 June, but was postponed on her request, as far as her lawyer didn’t manage to study the case.

According to Volha Pansevich, at about 7.30 p.m. on 21 April in Khliupin Street in Slonim she was approached by a police patrol. The policemen told them to come with them to the police department. When she refused, they seized her by arms and legs and pulled into their car, kicking and hitting her in the process. Then they put her hands in handcuffs and took her to the police department.

There she was kept for three days, during which she was beaten and ordered to stand facing the wall, with her legs spread wide apart.

What concerns the reasons for the detention, Volha reported the following: “This year, in January, I was detained by police for crossing the street in the wrong place. But soon after it I went to Moscow, that’s why the police couldn’t find me. I returned from Moscow only at the end of March, after the expiry of the term of punishment. Most probably, the police paid a special attention to me and decided to punish me in another way. After my release, I applied to the procuracy. The prosecutor forwarded my appeal to the local department of the Investigative Committee. However, the investigators found no corpus delicti in the actions of the police. Then the procuracy appealed this decision to the department of the investigative security. We are still waiting for the results. On 30 May police officers came to me, took me to the department and showed me two reports, in which I was charged with using obscene language in public and insubordination to the police. I didn’t sign them. Then they brought me to court. Judge Ivan Lastouski asked me what I needed to defense. I answered that I needed to have a counsel and summon witnesses. The trial was appointed to 10 a.m. on 5 June, but then was postponed to 12 June.