Zhlobin District Court acquits Fair World member

A three-year saga of the case of Yauhen Basareuski ended on July 19, as Zhlobin District Court acquitted the member of the Fair World party, as well as his former colleague Mrs. Valiantsina Kastsiukevich, both charged under Article 424 of the Criminal Code ("abuse of power or of a position of authority"). Judge Alena Yarmolchyk, unlike her colleague Ina Sharshniova, had enough courage and conscience to dismiss the case, which had a political tinge from the very beginning.

Prosecutor Andrei Anoshka, who wanted three years of prison for Yauhen Basareuski, did not even appear at the last hearing.

“Of course, this is a victory of common sense in our society. An important role was played by the media who covered the trial, as well as the witnesses, including town executive officials, who characterized the former director and accountant of the district Control Center of Communal Property as very professional people,” says Valery Rybchanka, head of the district office of the Party of the Left “Fair World”.

The trial of Yauhen Basareuski was started back in 2010, when the activist was trying to run in local council elections. Ahead of the elections, the State Control Committee inspected the Control Center of Communal Property, which had been for five years (from 2004 to 2009) headed by Yauhen Basareuski. The inspection revealed that the enterprise attempted to evade paying 50% of the rent, which resulted in over 180 million rubles of damages to the state budget. As a result, both Yauhen Basareuski and the former accountant of the Center Valiantsina Kastsiukevich faced criminal charges.

On December 7, 2012, Zhlobin District Court sentenced the Fair World member to three years of imprisonment, suspended for two years, but Homel Regional Court later overturned the decision. The case was then reconsidered in Zhlobin District Court (starting from March 2013). On July 19, Judge Alena Yarmolchyk acquitted Yauhen Basareuski and Valiantsina Kastsiukevich.