Picks of the week
College principal threatens student for intention to hold a picket
Daniil is a student of Orsha College of the Peter Masherov Vitebsk State University and an activist of the "Protest BY" campaign which opposes the recently adopted "Deferment Act". To protest the act, the student decided to hold a picket on an authorized site (in Orsha Heroes Park). After Daniil had filed a notice to the executive committee, the committee staff informed the college administration about it.
On August 22, Daniil and his mother were called for an appointment with the college principal Anatol Zuliou. At the meeting, the principal demanded to withdraw the picket notice from the executive committee, otherwise, the student and his mother would have problems at the college and work. Holding a picket by the college student would harm the reputation of the college among state agencies, said the principal. However, Daniil is not giving up and still plans to hold a picket.
This week, pickets against the new deferment act were also held in Brest and Minsk.
- Picket against the deferment act in Minsk. Photo: Radio Svaboda
Police is not a social group, conclude experts in Paliyenka's case
The case of Dzmitry Paliyenka was submitted to the Minsk City Court last week. He is accused of damaging property in a public place, inciting hatred on the grounds of social affiliation, public insult of representative of authority, and particularly gross misconduct. During the investigation, his defense commissioned an independent examination of the video which incriminated Paliyenka of two more crimes. According to experts of the Koltunov and Partners Consulting Firm (Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation), there is no incitement of hatred on social grounds in the video because the police do not comprise a social group being employees of state agencies.
The Investigative Committee refused to enter the independent examination into the case file before taking the case to court.
- Dzmitry Paliyenka. Photo: spring96.org
Belongings of witnesses in trade unions case are seized for over two years
REP Trade Union activist Leanid Schukin who was a witness to the "trade union case", wrote an open letter to presidential chief of staff Natallia Kachanava. He asked the official to intervene and facilitate the matter of returning him and the other persons and entities the office equipment seized during the searches two years ago. The specified criminal case is dismissed, the sentence proclaimed and came into effect (a year ago), however, several witnesses still can't get back their belongings.
- Search at REP Trade Union office. Photo: Nasha Niva
Siarhei Piatrukhin's property sequestered under police defamation case
On August 19, bailiffs of the Leninski District Enforcement Department of Brest sequestered property of blogger Siarhei Piatrukhin. All in all, four items amounting to 70 euros were sequestered. On April 18, 2019, Siarhei Piatrukhin was convicted of public defamation and insulting the police and sentenced to a fine of 360 base values (9180 roubles) and compensation for pain and suffering of the aggrieved policemen and their legal costs.
- Siarhei Piatrukhin. Photo: Viasna HRC
