Police deny abduction of Zmitser Dashkevich

Police and prosecutor’s office paid no reaction to the complaint of the Young Front chairman Zmitser Dashkevich about his abduction and taking out to a forest on 4 December.

To all his complaints about the abduction Mr. Dashekvich received only a short answer, signed by the head of the Zavadski district police department of Minsk V.Pravila, where it is stated that on 14 December 2009 a criminal case was brought on the incident under Article 206, part 2 (robbery, committed by a group of individuals), not under Article 182 of the Criminal Code (kidnapping).

’The Belarusian authorities are concerned with the public attention that is paid to such incidents in Belarus and abroad, which is witnessed by the libeling programs on Belarusian TV and Lukashenka’s own statements. That’s why the police brought a criminal case on robbery in order to show at least any reaction to it, as bringing a case on kidnapping would mean confession of such incidents,’ commented Zmitser Dashkevich.

Bear in mind that none of the criminal cases brought on kidnapping of opposition activists have been properly investigated so far.