Minsk Maskouski Borough Court Justifies Ihar Rynkevich, Lawyer for Aliaksandr Kazulin

On 28 April the trial of the lawyer of Aliaksandr Kazulin Ihar Rynkevich continued. On the eve of this sitting the judge Nadzeia Revutskaia obliged the head of the special police squad Almaz Karpiankou to present the video of the events that had taken place near Minsk Kastrychnitski Borough Board of Internal Affairs on 2 March, as a result of which Rynkevich had been detained. However, the policeman failed to present such videotape, because the squad members hadn’t videoed the detention and the tape that was brought from Minsk Maskouski Borough Prosecutor’s Office, didn’t contain it either.

Rynkevich’s lawyer Alena Ausiannikava said in the interview to RFE/RL: ‘I think that the tape contained the evidence that Mr Rynkevich hadn’t committed any violations of the law. In the case the court watched it, it would lead to the conclusion about his innocense, but there’s no tape.’

Ihar Rynkevich was accused of petty hooliganism (article #156 of the Code of Administrative Violations). In the violation report it was stated that he swore at the police and didn’t obey to their claims. During the three days of the trial the testimonies of four policemen were read and nien other persons including three more policemen were interrogated. None of those interrogated at court confirmed that Rynkevich ‘swore and called to assault the board of the internal affairs’, as it was described by the vice-head of Almaz Andrei Shynkarenka, who didn’t come to the trial though he was invited toit. Finally, the court justified Ihar Rynkevich.