Orsha City Court to Try Head of Local Free Trade Union of Metalworkers

24.03.2004.

Vasil Lewchankaw, head of local Free Trade Union of Metalworkers, will be tried on 29 March. He is charged with interference with legal actions of prosecutor’s office staff, reports the Assembly of NGOs on its web-site.
The conflict started in the beginning of March, when Vasil Lewchankaw was called to come to Orsha prosecutor’s office. Its employee Iryna Krukowskaya requested all documents about activities of the Free Trade Union, and the list of its members. Vasil Lewchankaw failed to submit the documents on the pretext that they are kept by the central office in Minsk.
The next day Iryna Krukowskaya visited the enterprise and carried out individual conversations with every worker. Every worker had to leave a written explanation, what trade union he is a member of: the state one or independent one. The workers claim Mrs. Krukowskaya told some of them she was member of State Control Committee.

Mr. Lewchankaw asked Krukowskaya to give him a list of documents which the prosecutor’s office needs and send him an official call to come to the prosecutor’s office. Instead, he was summoned to court. He is charged with interference with legal actions of prosecutor’s office staff (Art 1669 of the Code of Administrative Violations), facing a fine up to 2 basic values (about 17 USD).