Hrodna human rights defenders are summonsed to court
The Hrodna human rights defender
Uladzimir Khilmanovich received a summons to the Leninski District
Court of Hrodna. On 5 January he will be tried there for alleged
participation in an unauthorized picket.
On 18 December the
human rights defenders Uladzimir Khilmanovich, Raman Yurhel and
Viktar Sazonau were questioned at the city police department
"Center". Later in the evening of 19 December all of them
also received charges under Article 23.34 of the Code of
Administrative Violations (participation in an unauthorized picket)
there.
The human rights defender Viktar Sazonau has not
looked into his postbox yet, but is almost sure that the first new
year letter will the the court summons.
Bear in mind that the
formal reason for the initiation of the case was the publication of
an article about 10 December, the International Human Rights Day, at
the web-site of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", where it
was said that the Hrodna human rights defenders got photographed
outdoors with posters in support of the imprisoned human rights
defender Ales Bialiatski.