News on the topic: criminal persecution
12.03.2010 Homel oblast court cancelled trial of another conscientious objector to military service
The trial of Yauhen Yakavenka was cancelled by the Homel oblast court. At first Yauhen was punished with arrest for ostensibly ignoring an order of the military enlistment office.
10.03.2010 Zhodzina: Ivan Mikhailau was released from pre-trial prison
On 9 March the administration of the Zhodzina pre-trial prison refused to release Ivan Mikhailau and stated that the excerpt from the court verdict on his case that was brought by his relatives wasn’t enough for releasing him. The complete text of the verdict was passed to the prison administration on 10 March, after which Mr. Mikhailau was released.
10.03.2010 Trials of believers will continue till adoption of law on alternative civilian service
On 9 March the College Board of the Minsk oblast court found unlawful the verdict of the Minsk district court on Ivan Mikhailau’s case and returned the case for a second trial. Bear in mind that on 1 February A.Minich, Judge of the Minsk district court, sentenced Mr. Mikhailau to three months of arrest under Article 435 of the Criminal Code, ‘evasion from military service’, because Mikhailau demanded to be assigned to alternative civilian service.
04.03.2010 Investigation into Siarhei Kavalenka’s criminal case is over
On 3 March the Bureau of preliminary investigations of the Vitsebsk oblast police department informed Siarhei Kavalenka about the end of the investigation of the criminal case instigated against him for hanging out a white-red-white flag on the main New Year Tree of Vitsebsk. Now Kavalenka has a month for familiarization with the case materials. The case consists of three volumes that were composed in turn by three investigators – Tatsiana Turlayeva, Aksana Muravitskaya and Andrei Baranau.
03.03.2010 Babruisk KGB instigated criminal case against BCD activist
KGB officers fulfilled their threat to instigate a criminal case against Volha Siiyanava, a Babruisk activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy. Volha Siiyanava is also a member of the initiative group of her mother who is running for the local Soviet of Deputies as a BCD member.
26.02.2010 Political prisoners Autukhovich and Asipenka to stand trial on March 10
The date of the trial over Vaukavysk businessman Mikalai Autukhovich and former army officer Uladzimir Asipenka has been announced today. The trial is to start in the Supreme Court on March 10, secretary of judge Alyaksei Tsyatsyukhin, who will conduct the trial, told this the lawyers.
19.02.2010 Alternative civilian service: criminal persecution instead of law
Despite the fact that drafting of the law on alternative service has been initiated by President Lukashenka, officers of military enlistment offices continue the drafting of the people whom they consider as evading from military service.
19.02.2010 Aleh Surhan sentenced to six months of arrest
On 19 February, the Kastrychnitski district court in Vitsebsk sentenced Aleh Surhan, 47, to six month of arrest and obliged him to pay 2.5 million rubles as compensation to the alleged victim, policeman Siarhei Dudkevich. The arrest term is calculated from 27 January, the day when Surhan was detained.
19.02.2010 ’Young Front’ activist is threatened with criminal case for evasion from military service
Piatro Ruzau, activist of the Baranavichy branch of the Young Front who studies on Kastus Kalinouski educational program in Poland, is threatened with instigation of a criminal case for evasion from military service.
11.02.2010 Brest: Ivan Stasiuk is issued a warning for activity on behalf of unregistered organization
Ivan Stasiuk, a member of the international youth organization Young Front registered in Czech, was issued an official warning for activities on behalf of unregistered organization. The activist was summoned to the Brest oblast procuracy for 9 a.m. on 11 February, and was required to give explanations.
08.02.2010 Brest Young Front activist charged with hooliganism
Brest Young Front member Ivan Stasiuk is faces prosecution under Article 339.1 (hooliganism) of the Belarusian Criminal Code. The activist had been initially summoned by the police to testify in a criminal case over a street fight in downtown Brest on 23 January. However, he was later officially declared suspect in the case and imprisoned.
04.02.2010 Siarhei Kavalenka’s case reaches General Prosecutor
The criminal case of Vitsebsk Conservative Christian Party BPF member Siarhei Kavalenka reached General Prosecutor’s Office, after over a week of uncertainty about the investigation, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports, quoting the activist’s legal counsel Piotr Kavalenka.
01.02.2010 Tiral of entrepreneur Andrei Bandarenka to continue on 3 February
On1 February the Pershamaiski District Court in Minsk started the retrial of the criminal case over entrepreneur Andrei Bandarenka.
28.01.2010 Autukhovich and Asipenka’s period of detention extended
Period of detention for Vaukavysk businessmen extended till February 28. It was said by Uladzimir Asipenka’s daughter, Liudmila Asipenka, who received a letter from her father in the beginning of the week.
20.01.2010 Article 193-1 meets law, says Prosecutor General
Article 193-1 does not run counter to the Belarusian legislative and Constitutional standards, said Prosecutor General Ryhor Vasilevich during a press-conference on 20 January. ‘I do not think that it pointedly stands out of the legal framework,’ said the official.
