Brest: Ivan Stasiuk is issued a warning for activity on behalf of unregistered organization

Ivan Stasiuk, a member of the international youth organization Young Front registered in Czech, was issued an official warning for activities on behalf of unregistered organization. The activist was summoned to the Brest oblast procuracy for 9 a.m. on 11 February, and was required to give explanations.

In the warning it is stated that materials about his activities were submitted to the procuracy by the Brest oblast KGB department. The KGB supported its opinion that Ivan Stasiuk was an activist of the Young Front by printouts from the web-sites of the Young Front and Radio Racyja. The dates of the two mass actions in which he had participated, were mentioned as well.

The warning was signed by Senior Counselor of Justice T.Tachko, Deputy Prosecutor of the Brest oblast. The copy of the warning that issued to the activist is dated 9 February 2009 (last year).

Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code envisages up to six months of arrest or up to two years of jail for activities on behalf of an unregistered organization.

Bear in mind that last Saturday Ivan Stasiuk was released from the detention facility. A criminal case under Article 339.1 of the Criminal Code was instigated against him, allegedly because of a fight on 23 January.

Civil activists and Ivan’s comrades-in-arms don’t rule out that the harassment of the activist is connected to his intent to run at the elections to the local Deputy Soviets.

A civil committee for the protection of Ivan Stasiuk includes regional representatives of: the For Freedom movement, the Belarusian Popular Front Party, the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party and the human rights defender Raman Kisliak.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections