Poczobut was arrested on 21 June 2012 in his apartment in Hrodna, Belarus, searched and taken to the prosecutor’s office, and then detained for 9 days. On 30 June the journalist was released on the pledge not to leave the jurisdiction pending trial.
In July, it was reported that the Department of the Investigative Committee of the Hrodna region set up an investigation team to hold an inquiry into Poczobut’s criminal case. The journalist has not recieved any information about the investigation ever since and was not summoned anywhere.
Investigation prolonged
21 October was the deadline for investigations into the case of the journalist. The committee decided to prolong the investigation till 21 November.
“The term of the preliminary investigation into the criminal case against Poczobut on charges of art. 367 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus is extended for another month, until November 21, 2012, for additional investigation”, said the official representative of the Investigative Committee of the Hrodna region lieutenant colonel Siarhei Sharshanevich on Monday.
Andrzej Poczobut took the news calmly, “There are political reasons for that. Obviously, the authorities decided that they do not need such a process right now, so the situation is not clear. Well, I will continue writing until I am imprisoned”.
Journalist continues working
“I work the way I did before. From a professional point of view, it is a little bit hard for me not being able to leave the place, because I cannot go outside Hrodna to write an article. But I really love Hrodna. This is a great city and its space is quite enough for me”, Poczobut summed up.
Andrzej Poczobut was repeatedly accused of libelling Aliaksandr Lukashenka on the basis of the articles posted on the Charter97 and Belarusian partisan web-sites. Last summer Poczobut has already been tried for “defaming the president”. The Leninski district court of Hrodna sentenced him to three years imprisonment suspended for two years. Now the journalist can get a penalty of restriction or deprivation of liberty for up to five years.
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