Aliaksandar Kruty found guilty and sent for treatment

24.01.2008. Tags: criminal persecution.

Niasvizh court announced a verdict on the criminal case against Aliaksandar Kruty. He is found guilty of public insult of the president of the country (Article 368 of the Criminal Code). In conjunction with the fact that the actions of the defendant do not bear a big threat to the society, Aliaksandar Kruty was exempted from penalty, and the criminal case was stopped. During the investigation the defendant had to undergo forensic medical examination, which diagnosed Kruty with paranoid schizophrenia. The materials of the examination were sent to a medical institution for inpatient care.

Meanwhile, Marianna Siameshka, Kruty’s defender, does not agree with the court verdict. She believes the guilt of Aliaksandar Kruty was not proved by the presented evidence. The case was stopped not because of the exonerating reasons but because of absence of a threat to the society. The lawyer of the activist states she will appeal against the court verdict.

The criminal case against Aliaksandar Kruty for public insult of Lukashenka was launched in May 2003. Kryty produced and distributed leaflets about Lukashenka and his officials in Niasvizh. He lived in Minsk for several years and was detained only in the fall of 2007. In the beginning the activist was kept in Zhodzina pre-trial detention center, later he was sent to the national mental hospital.