News on the topic: criminal prosecution
11.06.2009 Trial of Leanid Svetsik: victims demand the case be dropped
The judge of Vitsebsk oblast court Halina Urbanovich announced a break after the petition of the defendant Leanid Svetsik for cessation of legal persecution and dropping the criminal case against him. The human rights defender said that he could not understand what he was accused in and considered himself innocent.
11.06.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: ‘This trial is an attempt to discredit human rights movement’
The first day of the trial of Leanid Svetsik started with the ejection of the independent journalists who had covered the appearance of anonymous threat letters on behalf of ‘Vitsebsk branch of the Russian National Unity’ in which Svetsik is accused.
10.06.2009 Trial of human rights defender Leanid Svetsik: new surprises
On 10 June Vitsebsk oblast court considered the criminal case against Leanid Svetsik. The trial started at 10 a.m. with an unexpected incident. An unknown youngster unfurled the protest ‘KGB – fascists’ and explained that in such a way he wanted to express his protest against the fabrication of the criminal case against Mr. Svetsik by the local KGB department. After showing the poster he left the court hall.
09.06.2009 Mikalai Autukhovich’s lawyer Pavel Sapelka complained to the prosecutor’s office of Belarus against actions of the investigation
‘I cannot tell which actions I am complaining about, because I have signed the pledge of secrecy of the investigation materials,’ said Pavel Sapelka.
01.06.2009 Kurapaty vandals are amnestied
As said to the BelaPAN by the investigator of Minsk district police department Siarhei Bulko, on 30 May two Minsk dwellers, who were charged with destruction of the memorial crosses to Stalinism victims in Kurapaty forest near Minsk were amnestied.
27.05.2009 Investigation of businessmen’s case to be extended
According to the human rights activist Aleh Volchak, the investigation of the case against the three businessmen from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau and Uladzimer Asipenka may be extended for another month. He also said Autukhovich had been interrogated on 26 May. Investigator Vital Kukharchyk mentioned illegal possession of explosives and firearms, which are likely to be added to the list of charges against the entrepreneurs. At the same time, the human rights activist thinks ‘the investigation lacks airtight evidence against the accused.’ ‘Had they had the evidence, the case would have reached the court, which is what the businessmen insist on,’ said Mr.Volchak.
22.05.2009 Human rights activists issue statement on cases of Autukhovich, Liavonau and Asipenka
Statement on the cases of M.Autukhovich, Y.Liavonau and U.Asipenka 22 May 2009 Human rights activists are concerned about the violation of the rights of Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau and Uladzimer Asipenka, who are kept under arrest for their alleged involvement in the arson facts in Vaukavysk in 2004. Human rights activists stress that the periods of the preliminary investigation are dragged out. The businessmen have been in a pre-trial detention center since February 2009. Since then the investigation has been repeatedly prolonged. Meanwhile, the investigators fail to carry out any investigative actions. Thus, the legality of their imprisonment seems absolutely groundless.
15.05.2009 The trial of Maxim Dashuk to start on 1 June
Hearing of the criminal case against activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Maxim Dashuk at Maskouski district court of Minsk is appointed for June 1.
14.04.2009 ‘Young Front’ activist Artsium Dubski beaten by riot police
The Young Front activist managed to send a letter from the pre-trial detention center. In this letter, published on the Young Front website, Artsiom Dubski says how the riot police beat him and his cell mates.
16.03.2009 Human rights activists say Paliakova’s verdict was illegal
Representatives of the Belarusian human rights community say the verdict passed on Yana Paliakova was illegal and groundless. Now, independent lawyers are trying to appeal the verdict and rehabilitate the activist, who committed suicide on 7 March, after Salihorsk Town Court found her guilty of ‘deliberately false denunciation’ (Article 400 paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus) and sentenced her to 2.5 years of personal restraint.
16.03.2009 KGB resumes case against human rights activist Svetsik
Vitsebsk human rights activist Leanid Svetsik has received a letter from the KGB Vitsebsk regional department, saying the secret service has resumed criminal prosecution under Article 130.1 of the Criminal Code (‘stirring up international and interdenominational hatred’). According to Mr.Svetsik, the investigator failed to name the grounds for the resumption. However, he attributes it to the growing pressure against human rights activists, e.g. the negative decision concerning the registration of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization.
11.03.2009 Harry Pahaniaila: ‘Verdict to Yana Paliakova was issued unlawfully’
Only today, on 11 March Neanila Paliakova finally managed to receive a copy of the court verdict that had been issued to her daughter Yana Paliakova by Salihorsk district court on 3 March. Even a brief familiarization with the documents lets human rights defenders state about gross law violations during the trial of Yana Paliakova.
09.03.2009 Mikhail Pashkevich gets official warning
The head of the youth organization of the United Civil Party Young Democrats Mikhail Pashkevich received a warning for violation of the regime of personal restraint.
09.03.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: ‘People are eliminated in Belarus. It is terrible’
‘I was shocked by the death of Yana Paliakova. The cases when people are eliminated are becoming more frequent in Belarus,’ commented to the press-center of Charter97 the human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich.
09.03.2009 Artsiom Dubski is given official charges
The official charges have been presented to Artsiom Dubski, Young Front activist and former participant of the Process of 14. The oppositionist faces from 6 month to 3 years in prison.
