Viktar Harbachou Acquitted

The leader of entrepreneurs Viktar Harbachou has been released from Barysau district court. ‘He is acquitted for absence of crime in the act’, told the activist of entrepreneurs’ movement Mikhail Vasilieu.

Today a trial over the leader of the campaign For free development of entrepreneurship Viktar Harbachou has taken place in Barysau. He was charged with resistance to the police. Initially the case was to be tried by presiding judge of Barysau regional court Yury Kobets. However, Kobets refused to try the defendant referring to personal acquaintance with him. That’s why the trial was held by Judge Mikalay Kananchuk.

Only Siarhei Mikulovich, one of the two policemen who detained the entrepreneur, witnessed against Harbachou. As said by witnesses, the policemen didn’t try to bear false witness, but told the real story. The second policeman, referring to a relative’s illness, left the town and refused to appear in the court.

Viktar Harbachou was detained on the railway station in the morning, when he was on his way from Krupki to Barysau. When the family left the train, an unknown man started to pester V.Harbachou and his underage son, trying to start a fight. When policemen approached, the man escaped.

A blood alcohol test was taken from Viktar Harbachou without explanation in Barysau police department. Policemen questioned Viktar Harbachou and his wife Sviatlana.

Though Harbachou was the injured party, he became an accused. The entrepreneurs’ colleagues explain it by his active civil position. Earlier Viktar Harbachou told to the Charter’97 press-center that law-enforcers had warned him that on 8-9 January authorities would try to isolate organizers of the protest rally of market vendors which was to take place on 10 January in Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk.