Mahiliou Regional Court confirms KGB supervision for BCD activist

Mahiliou Regional Court considered yesterday the appeal lodged by an activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, Aleh Aksionau. The activist tried to appeal against a conversation he was subjected to by the KGB agents, the Committee’s supervision over the activist, as well as the anti-Constitutional character of Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code criminalizing activities on behalf of an unregistered organization.

The court rejected all the claims. According to the judgment, the KGB’s Mahiliou department did not violate the rights of the activist.

Aleh Aksionau totally disagrees with the court ruling.

"My rights have been violated, and I will continue suing the KGB, until they stop harassing me. I am a member of the organizing committee of the BCD and working to build the party. I was put on the register in the KGB, because I'm supposedly acting on behalf of an unregistered organization. The KGB officers did not even know the difference between a party and an organizing committee. Moreover, I was placed under supervision in accordance with Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code, which is simply unconstitutional," says Aleh Aksionau.

On April 29, a KGB officer Makhunou summoned Aleh Aksionau for a conversation. During the "conversation" Makhunou reported that the activist had received an official warning from the chief of the KGB’s local department for activities on behalf of an unregistered political party – the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, as well as for participation in the activities of two more unregistered organizations: the civil campaign "For Fair Elections-2012" and the Mahiliou regional coalition of democratic forces.

As evidence of the alleged violation, the KGB officer provided printouts of independent sites that mentioned the name of the activist.