On the 4th of August 2006 Belarusian court has delivered a judgement in the case of “Partnership” NGO – from 6 months to 2 years of prison for the activity in the name of unregistered organization. Evidently Belarusian authorities consider elections observation as dangerous for the society as war propaganda or social, national, religious and racial hostility.
Two of four convicted young people are free now. They held a press conference today.(05-SEP-06)
Photo www.svaboda.org
Cruel Sentence
Four activists of unregistered NGO “Partnership”, that make generally accepted in any democratic states activity- election observation- were arrested in the February 2006. Young people were charged in accordance with article 193.2 of Criminal Code- organization or management of public organization, religious institution or political party, which encroaches on a personality, rights and duties of citizens and which did not pass state registration. The judge has announced a sentence on adjourned trial on the 4th of August – deprivation of freedom for all of fours. Enira Bravickaia and Alaiksandr Shalaika have got 6 months, Cimafei Dranchuk- 1 year, Mikola Astreika- 2 years of common gaol. Accused activists did not admit guilt.
Belarusian and international democratic societies were affected by such cruel sentence and unambiguously appraised this criminal case as “the open repressions against civil society”.
Elections observation as a signal for seizure of power.
It became possible to deliver this kind of charges and sentences ‘owing’ to new amendments to a Criminal Code from 1st of January 2006. The head of Belarusian KGB Mr. Suharenko did not conceal that these amendments are taken “for concrete persons”. There was a wave of activists’ arrests soon after. After the initiation of this criminal case, Suharenko has announced that “Partnership” was going to promulgate previously prepared data in favor of opposition united candidate Milinkevich in the likeness of exit-polls results. And that this should be the signal for mass struggles of opposition using denotations and seizure of different administration buildings. More simply- forced overthrow of power in the country.
After release…
Enira Bravickaia and Alaiksandr Shalaika have held a press conference after release. “I do consider the election observation preparation is not injurious to the public”- Alaiksandr Shalaika stated -“ Court has delivered groundlessly cruel judgement to Cimafei and Mikola. Firstly, in my opinion, rules of code of criminal procedure were infringed during the trial. Secondly, courts output are not answerable to criminal case materials. Thirdly, a maximum sentence was passed to Mikola Astreika, who had no previous convictions but pregnant wife”
Advocates have filed an appeal on error, which will be considered on the 15th of September.
Advocacy of Cimafei Dranchuk demands an acquittal of its client because of absence of crime in the act, advocacy of Mikola Astreika demand to qualify the severity of the sentence.
Although Prosecutor-General of Belarus, Petr Miklashevich, has stated that “courts and prosecutor´s office of the Republic of Belarus are depoliticized”, although “no one of them is a member of any political party and it is forbidden to be engaged in politics by law”, Belarusian democratic society has very illusive perspective to get objective and fair sentence, taking into account an “independence” of Belarusian judges.
