Police officer does not want to testify in Uladzimir Labkovich’s case
A police officer who detained human rights defenders Uladzimir Labkovich and Tatsiana Reviaka during an action of solidarity with political prisoner Ales Bialiatski held in Minsk once again failed to appear at the court hearing.
The re-consideration of the administrative case was therefore postponed to October 7 and will begin at 9 a.m.
The first re-consideration of a ruling by Tsentralny District Court, which sentenced the human rights activist to a fine of three million rubles, was scheduled for September 18. On that day, police officer Smaliak, who was to attend the hearing as a witness, failed to appear in court. Therefore, the review of the case was postponed to September 30.
According to the Judge, the policeman sent a certificate stating that he was on vacation.
Uladzimir Labkovich is outraged by this situation and continues to believe that the police officer should be prosecuted for contempt of court, as vacations do not exempt him from the obligation to appear in court.
