Dashkevich Still Facing Additional Criminal Charges. Investigator Turns His Complaint Down

The additional criminal case against the convicted Young Front leader Zmitser Dashkevich for refusal to testify against his colleagues was instigated on August 14^th. On October 9^th the lawyer of the political prisoner made a written petition to the investigator to drop the charges because of the absence of corpus delicti. According to Article 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, a citizen has the right not to testify against himself and his family. Zmitser Dashkevich used this constitutional right, and informed the investigation bodies who interrogated him about that in a written form.

On October 19^th prosecutor’s office investigator Lokh, who processes the criminal case against Zmitser, ruled to turn down the lawyer’s petition. At present the political prisoner’s defender prepared a complaint about the ruling and is going to appeal to Shklou district court.

It’s worth mentioning, at present Minsk city court is processing a supervisory complaint against the verdict made on November 1^st, 2006. Then Kastrychnitski court judge Ala Bulash sentenced the Young Front leader to 18 months of imprisonment. The trial was closed for public.