Viasna’s Leanid Sudalenka held on criminal charges

Leanid Sudalenka, a human rights activist and head of Viasna’s branch in Homieĺ, was detained last morning, January 18, according to local activist Vasil Paliakou. Sudalenka was then taken to the Investigative Committee’s city office for questioning.

The human rights activist was detained as part of a criminal case under Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (group actions which gravely breach public order). Sudalenka’s status in the case, however, remains unknown.

Late in the evening on January 18, Leanid Sudalenka’s assistant Maryia Tarasenka was also detained in Homieĺ. Her house was searched and she was placed in a detention center. Her status is yet unknown.

On January 5, law enforcement officers searched the civil and political community center “Palesskaya, 52”, where Viasna’s office is located. All the time of the raid, Leanid Sudalenka was in the office. After the search, he was taken to the local department for organized crime, but later released. A search was also carried out in his house.

Officially, the searches were part of a criminal case against opposition activist Uladzimir Niapomniashchykh for allegedly threatening a prosecutor (Article 366 of the Criminal Code).