Brest: prosecutor to be punished for failure to come to trial?
On 3 January the judge of the Brest
District Court Mikalai Sianko did not grant the solicitation of the
counsel Pavel Alesik about changing the restraint to the civil
activist Vital Koush (in the photo) to a written undertaking not to
leave. At the same time, the judge was unable to start the court
proceedings concerning Koush's case due to the absence of the
prosecutor.
As stated by the judge, the prosecutor hadn't
informed about his inability to take part in the sitting, that's why
some measures would be taken to punish him for the absence without a
good excuse. The next sitting was appointed on 15 January.
Bear
in mind that 28-year-old Vital Koush is charged with assisting some
Indian citizens in the unlawful crossing of the Belarusian-Polish
boundary by a rope in May 2012. On 1 September the law machinery held
a special operation, as a result of which Mr. Koush was forcedly
detained near his village house before the eyes of his family.
In
autumn 2012 the Indian citizens were found in India. They made a
video address, in which they stated that the Belarusian police had
subjected them to torture and ill-treatment, as a result of which
they had to give false testimonies.
Vital Koush is a civil
activist. He was a member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party,
participated in a number of electoral campaigns in Belarus as an
election observer, took part in peaceful actions of protest.