Ten members of BPF Council summonsed for interrogation
Ten members of the Council of the BPF party were summoned to the Tsentralny district police department for questioning.
“In the evening of 3 October, summonses were sent to the party’s headquarters. Investigator Inha Patapenka summoned ten members of the party’s council for questioning as witnesses on the same day,” council member Vadzim Kanapatski told BelaPAN news agency.
According to him, the summonses do not have stamps and
postmarks. They were delivered to the party headquarters after the time the
party members were supposed to appear for questioning.
Kanapatski says the summonses do not contain information in connection with
what case the party members will be questioned. He thinks this may be connected
with a criminal case against three members of the BPF Council.
As earlier reported by BelaPAN news agency, Ales Kalita, Maksim Hubarevich and
Siarhei Semianiuk are suspected in beating a security guard in the building
where the BPF party rents an office. The incident took place on 13 August ahead
of sitting of the party’s council.
As Kanapatski said, the party leaders regard the mass summoning for questioning
as politically motivated pressure on the opposition organization. “Both an
attempt to bring three council members to criminal responsibility and summoning
for questioning are a part of the campaign to press on the BPF party. The
authorities have intensified crackdown on political opponents recently,”
Kanapatski said.
He also noted that none of the summoned council members were staff members of
the party executive bodies and most of them did not live in Minsk. According to him, the council sent a
letter to the Tsentralny district police department proposing to send summonses
in due order.
