SCHOOL GIRL TRIED BY “GROWN-UP” COURT

31.03.2006.

Centralny district court of Minsk tried under age Veranika Lazouskaya and issued a warning to her.

The girl was charged with disobedience to police. She was detained during the picket near the Russian Embassy on March 28. However, she was tried for events on March 6, when the police found out that she had promotion leaflets of Alexander Milinkevich.

Judge Alaksei Bychko did not allow Veranika’s friends, members of ZUBR unregistered organization, to be present in the courtroom during the trial. The police officers accused the girl of disobedience to demands of a policeman. Veranika explained that on March 6 the police detained her friend and took her to a police station. Veranika came to the police station and asked when they were going to release her friend. Then, she says, a police major hit her and dragged her inside. The police searched the girl and found official campaign leaflets of Alexander Milinkevich. The police seized the leaflets and let Veranika go together with her friend who had been detained earlier.
Veranika Lazouskaya told RFE/RL: “I was hit by major Sharahurau. The guy with moustache. At first they wanted to draw up a report that I swore at the major. Then – that I posted stickers. They also tried to intimidate me saying they would press criminal charges against me for calling people to come to an unauthorized action on March 19”.