Sentence in REP trade union trial commuted after an amnesty
Ihar Komlik (center) and Henadz Fiadynich (right) in the courtroom. August 7, 2018. Photo: Viasna
The terms of “restricted liberty” earlier imposed on Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik, leaders of the independent trade union REP, have been reduced by 12 months, following an amnesty bill passed by the parliament, praca-by.info said.
Fiadynich and Komlik were sentenced to 4 years of house imprisonment each as a result of politically motivated charges and a highly flawed trial in August 2018.
The activists have already served 15 months of their initial sentences, which include nearly round-the-clock confinement to their apartments and numerous other restrictions, e.g. ban on holding managerial positions in the trade union known for its criticism of the Belarusian government’s policies in employment and labor rights spheres.
Meanwhile, the two men are still appealing against the court ruling, with their final complaint pending before the Supreme Court, the top level of the country’s judiciary.
“Our sentencing is illegal. And if the Supreme Court does not overturn the sentence, we will have to complain to the United Nations Human Rights Committee,” Henadz Fiadynich, former head of the trade union, said.
