Court in Minsk rejects suit against illegal border searches

Judge Irena Brolishs of the Leninski District Court of Minsk has dismissed a lawsuit by deputy chairman of the United Civil Party (UCP) Vasil Paliakou, who asked to open a criminal case against the State Border Committee, whose employees several times detained and searched the politician at the. The United Civil Party deputy chairman has appealed the denial to the Civil Division of the Minsk City Court.

The judge believes that civil cases on the use discrimination on political grounds at the state border are not under the jurisdiction of the courts. Judge Irena Brolishs also argued that before going to court Vasil Paliakou had to get an answer directly from the chairman of the State Border Committee, while the politician submitted a reply from the local department of border control.

“In my complaint, I insisted that the state border officials were engaged in obvious discrimination on political grounds. It is because of this that the court must have found it easier to refuse to open a case rather than figuring out whether there are so called “black lists” on the border. “Is it my problem that the answer came not from the chairman of the State Border Committee, but from head of the department? The court has no reason to believe that I have not fulfilled the pre-trial procedures,” said the politician.

Vasil Paliakou intends to pass all domestic remedies, and then send the verdict of the Belarusian judicial system to the UN Human Rights Committee.

Source: gomelspring.org