Salihorsk: Ivan Shyla Faces New Criminal Case?
The youth activist Ivan Shyla was detained on 7 November, during a picket in the main square of Salihorsk. Together with him the police detained several other action participants. While the district officials were lying flowers to the monument of Lenin seven persons unrolled the transparency ‘Put Communism to Tribunal’. The action lasted for 15 seconds only.
It is already the third time when the democratic activists of Salihorsk stage such action. Every year the events develop on the same scenario – twisting the arms and detention of the activists for several hours.
Pavel Batuyeu said: ‘During the official procession we went out in T-shirts with the inscription ‘Put Communism to Tribunal’. The police detained only those who held the transparency and Krystsina Samoylava, who had printed materials which we intended to use.’
About 20 policemen participated in the detention. As it usually happens, the whole operation was directed by Yauhen Zhylinski. According to Ivan Shyla, it is him who always tells the police whom they should detain.
‘We started running and unrolled the transparency on the way. It was an unexpected move for them and we won about 15 seconds. Then the detentions started. They twisted our arms, hit us in the kidneys and threw into a car. The most revolting is that we are accused of the violations that are impossible to make with one’s arms twisted,’ commented Ivan Shyla.
At present the prosecutor’s office checks the corpus delicti in Shyla’s action. In case his ‘resistance to the police’ is confirmed, a criminal case can be brought against him. Bear in mind that in September Shyla was tried for violation of article 193.1 of the Criminal Code (activities on behalf of unregistered organization) and received a warning for it.
Ivan Shyla: ‘The police qualify our actions as violation oar article 363 of the Criminal Code. The prosecutor’s office conducts a check-up. An investigator came to the police and interrogated us. The policemen also went to the prosecutor’s office. They will be interrogated and the forensic expertise will be conducted. On the basis of the check-up the prosecutor’s office will decide whether to bring a criminal case.’
Those who were not detained during the procession went to the police department of Salihorsk and laid down a crown of thorns to the monument of an NKVD leader Felix Dziarzhynski.
