Partnerstva Members to Stand Trial despite US Sanctions

21.07.2006.

US Ambassador George Krol said at a press conference on July 14 that a response of the US to the verdict to activists of an unregistered organization Partnerstva would be slashing. As could be understood from the comment of Prosecutor General of Belarus Pyotr Miklashevich on the statement of the US Ambassador and possible joining the US sanctions by the EU, that would not influence the verdict of the court.

At the meeting with journalists on July 21 Pyotr Miklashevich reminded that accusation have been presented to the four activists of that organization. On July 28 the trial is to start in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk. Courts and the prosecutors office of Belarus are depoliticized and non-partisan, the Prosecutor General said. Nobody is a member of any party, and it is prohibited to be engaged in politics. That is why the prosecutors office acts in the framework of the law. They have performed a criminally punishable act according to our law, and the case was submitted to the court. And the court would deliver a verdict in line with the law.

In addition to his comment the prosecutor commented on the trail over the leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Alyaksandr Kazulin: In any civilized rule-of-law state during any political events persons who had committed criminal offences, are to bear responsibility. The prosecutors office of Belarus has officially warned the former candidate for presidency Kazulin against committing criminally punishable acts, as law applies to everyone without discrimination, and no political rallies discharge from criminal liability. That is why the verdict is to be passed in line with the Belarusian legislation.

As we have informed, activists of the civil initiative on elections observation Partnerstva Tsimafei Dranchuk, Enira Branitskaya, Alyaksei Shalajka and Mikalay Astrejka are charged with violation of the Article 193 part 2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (participation in an unregistered organization, infringing upon rights of citizens).
Source: www.charter97.org