BPF deputy chair Ryhor Kastusiou to stand trial in Shklou

On 16 December, police officers in Shklou charged deputy chairman of the BPF party Ryhor Kastusiou with an administrative offense allegedly committed by the politician during the celebration of the Day of Remembrance of Kastus Kalinouski rebels in Svislach on October 26, 2014.

In addition, Shklou law enforcers told Ryhor Kastusiou that in the near future the offense report and other evidence of “wrongful conduct” would be sent for consideration to the Court of Shklou district.

According to Ryhor Kastusiou, employees of the Shklou police department behaved correct. They told Mr. Kastusiou that this was the second administrative offense report, as the first report was written with violations and was returned to the Svislach police department. They later sent the updated report, together with other documents that allegedly prove Kastusiou’s guilt, and a DVD with a video recording of the event in Svislach.

Ryhor Kastusiou said that he was outraged by the fact that the police, instead of addressing real crimes – corrupt officials, drug dealers and others – pursued the opposition. Apart from that, the BPF deputy chair says it is appalling that the video footage provided by the Svislach police officers features as evidence of the offense a shooting from the funeral of a local activist Viktar Dziasiatsika, who was buried exactly on the very day of the memory of heroes.

On December 15, the apartment of the BPF deputy head Ryhor Kastusiou in Shklou was visited by two police officers. They left a summons, saying that he was expected to appear in the Shklou police department on December 16, as the police department received a report on administrative offense allegedly committed by the politician in Svislach.

On October 26, 2014, the town of Svislach hosted the traditional memorial event honoring the rebels of the 1863 anti-Russian uprising, which was attended by opposition activists from different regions of Belarus. The event was attended by Ryhor Kastusiou.

The entire event was followed by people in plain clothes and a police cameraman. A number of participants in the celebration of the Day of Remembrance in Svislach have already been punished with heavy fines.