Assaulter of UCP Kalinkavichy activist goes unpunished

On November 28, the Court of Kalinkavichy district heard the charges brought against a local resident who attacked United Civil Party activist Dzianis Rabianok, spraying pepper gas into his eyes in April 2013. As a result, the activist’s eyes were burnt and he had to seek medical aid.

Dzianis Rabianok worked hard to make policemen charge the attacker, writing numerous complaints, including to the Homel Regional Court. In total, eight months had passed since the incident.

The court acquitted the assaulter, referring to absence of elements of an offense. The Judge called the actions of the attacker “necessary self-defense.”

“The entire case is very clear evidence that if you are involved in social and political life and you are not afraid to assert your views, then seeking the protection of the legitimate rights and hoping for a fair trial in the Belarusian court is an absolutely useless thing. Testimonies of the attacker and his witnesses (civilian employee of the Interior Ministry’s Security Department, whose presence at the scene is not proven) are taken for granted, they are considered consistent and reliable. Meanwhile, my testimony and that by my witnesses – three people – are not taken into account. It turns out that for the state system we second-class citizens", says the activist.

Dzianis Rabianok says he will appeal the decision of the district court to the regional court immediately after receiving a copy of the judgment.

“Our courts are a kind of appendages to punitive organs: the KGB and the Interior Ministry. Of course, it would be very naive to think that complaints could make a difference here and now. But it is necessary to record all violations by the police and the court," said the activist.