Homel tax authorities seek prosecution of human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka

The Home-based tax inspection will consider the charges brought against local human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka, after the authorities ordered the activist to submit an income declaration for five years, including the income received by his wife and son, who is currently serving in the army.

Leanid Sudalenka ignored the first order, as the paper failed to specify the reason for the summons and the status of the summoned activist. “My mother-in-law could call and say that, well, I'll come, just like that, but we'll see then. But this is a tax authority, so I wrote them a letter – so that they specified why I was summoned," said the human rights defender.

On November 16, he received a new writ, which clearly stated that the activist “is summoned as a person prosecuted under administrative procedures". Leanid Sudalenka believes that he may be charged with disobeying an official.

The human rights activist plans to file seven petitions to the tax inspection. First of all, to inquire why the officials allowed disclosure of information, which is punishable by law. Leanid Sudalenka was forced to submit an income tax declaration, which he eventually did. But then the details of his income appeared in the state newspaper "Homelskaya Prauda". The activist will ask the inspection to explain how the newspaper received the information that he had reported to the tax authorities. Also, he is interested on whose behalf the tax authorities act, who initiated the check-up (it can be initiated by the KGB, the State Control Committee and the police). "In general, why is the tax inspection so curious about my family, my son who is in the army? Why are they not curious about, say, my neighbor? Especially since I did not buy anything, anything that can let you say that my expenses were more than my income. Apart from that, the inspection, according to the Civil Code, may require a declaration from an individual for a period not exceeding three years, and in my case it is five years. The Civil Code has greater legal force than other laws containing provisions of civil law," said Leanid Sudalenka.

The administrative case will be considered in the tax inspection on 21 November.