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Criminal case against Salihorsk anarchists

2011 2011-05-12T19:02:43+0300 1970-01-01T03:00:00+0300 en https://spring96.org./files/images/sources/anarhisty.jpg The Human Rights Center “Viasna” The Human Rights Center “Viasna”
The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

One of the main episodes of the criminal case against Salihorsk anarchists is the assault on a police station in Salihorsk on 9 March 2010. The offenders broke the windows and threw in a pyrotechnic device. Anarchists openly took responsibility for the action and even uploaded a video to the Internet. The reasons for the action were unlawful actions of the local police and driving a local human rights defender Yana Paliakova to suicide (she hanged herself after being sentenced to imprisonment for political reasons).

The case started acquiring the political nature in September 2010, after the assault on the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Minsk, as a result of which a car was burned down. More than 20 Salihorsk youngsters had “talks” with the local KGB in September. KGB officers threatened and insulted them and their relatives, also using the case of robbery of cash dispensers in Salihorsk for it.

According to the local human rights defenders, charges were given to three people: Dzmitry Dubouski, Aliaksandr Frantskevich and Yauhen Silivonchyk.

Aliaksandr Frantskevich, born in Navapolatsk, resident of Minsk, has been kept in custody since 3 September 2010. On 20 September he was charged under Article 339, part 2 of the Criminal Code for alleged videoing of the assault on the police station in Salihorsk. On 14 February he was presented new charges (Article 218, part 3, and article 339, part 2), according to which he was accused of the assault on the police station in Salihorsk, the Palace of Trade Unions in Minsk and the protest action near the General Staff. The estimated material damage from these actions is 1,9 million rubles. The youngster faces 12 years of imprisonment. At present Aliaksandr Frantskevich is kept in the pre-trial prison in Valadarski Street. The restraint to him wasn’t changed despite the state of his health (he has only one kidney).

Yauhen Silivonchyk, musician of the Salihorsk punk-band Jurgenklinsman, was pressurized into confessing his participation in the assault on the police station. He agreed to cooperate with the law machinery in this case and was released from jail. However, he is also charged under Article 218, part 3 and Article 339, part 2 and faces 12 years of imprisonment.

Salihorsk resident Dzmitry Dubouski, a friend of Yauhen Silivonchyk, is also charged with the assault on the police station according under the aforementioned articles of the Criminal Code. In September he left his job and studies and left Belarus. According to some Internet resources, he is the inspirer of all arsons conducted in Belarus during the recent years.

The investigation of this case was conducted for as much as six months. Despite the evident political nature, its figurants are charged with “hooliganism”. The case includes seven episodes. The trial will started at the Zavadski District Court of Minsk on 18 May.

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