Aliaksei Pikulik stands trial
Aliaksei Pikulik, the academic director of Vilnius-based Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies (BISS) and professor of the European University at St Petersburg, was detained in Minsk at 6 pm on 31 May. He is charged with disorderly conduct (Article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Violations).
There are no details about the detention of Pikulik. According to the lawyer, he was sent from the Tsentralny district police department to the detention center in Akrestin Street. The mother of the detainee had a telephone call from the detention center confirming Aliaksei was there.
The trial of Mr. Pikulik started in the afternoon. By 4.45 p.m. the judge listened to the testimonies of the riot policemen, which were somewhat contradictory, and announced a break for delivery of the documents concerning the education and occupation of Aliaksei Pikulik.
By the way, on 6 April, road police stopped Pikulik’s car and demanded to go to the Tsentralny district police department for an identity check. The BISS academic director was suspected of involvement into a fight and document forgery. Police seized his passport.
