Former Candidates to Parliament Are Charged with Libel and Distribution of Incorrect Information

According to RFE/RL

The prosecutor’s office continues to look for compromising materials against oppositional activists who took part in the Parliamentary election. The authorities charge the members of the United Civil Party Maryna Bahdanovich and Aliaksandr Tsynkevich, human rights activist and member of Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada Aleh Volchak with libel. All these candidates were deprived of registration by election commissions. The prosecutor’s office seems to have serious intentions towards these candidates. According to a representative of Central Election Commission, the prosecutor’s office requested additional information from the appropriate circuit commissions.

Besides, the investigator of Hrodna Leninski Borough Prosecutor’s Office Siarhey Shestaw phoned to Maryna Bahdanovich and told her to come for testifying. He explained that she had to testify concerning her speech on the radio that was allegedly insulting to president. He didn’t say that a criminal case had been brought. Before that, Lida Inter-regional Prosecutor’s Office sent Maryna Bahdanovich a letter where it was told that the case against her had been passed to Hrodna Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

What are the pretensions to Maryna Bahdanovich? In her speech she said that the means received from the sale f unregistered arms were spent on “Mercedes” cars for the officials and “Boeing” for president. Aleh Volchak is charged with libeling duty officials, Aliaksandr Tsynkevich – with production of the fly-sheets where it was said that there’s cold civil war in the country. At present Mr. Tsynkevich is abroad.

The prosecutor of the city of Baranavichy urgently demanded from the non-state Intex-press newspaper information about the public statements of candidates concerning the falsification of the results of the election.

Ales Dashchynski, Minsk