Kalinkavichy UCP activist seeks prosecution of local policemen

Dzianis Rabianok, Kalinkavichy activist of the United Civil Party, sent today a statement to the head of Homel regional department of the Investigative Committee with a proposal to give legal assessment to the actions of local policemen and bring them to justice.

The application demands prosecution for Kalinkavichy police department employees who charged the activist over a fight and did not take measures to bring to justice the other party to the conflict. The statement requests to initiate criminal proceedings against the policemen for inaction and negligence.

In April 2013, Dzianis Rabianok’s neighbor sprayed pepper gas in the activist’s eyes. As a result, the young activist not only received eye burns, but was also accused beating his neighbor and prosecuted under Article 9.1 of the Administrative Code.

The District Court later found Dzianis Rabianok guilty and sentenced him to a fine of 10 basic units (1 mln rubles). The activist appealed the verdict to Homel Regional Court, which reversed the decision and ordered a new trial on July 10, 2013.

Meanwhile, the activist filed a complaint against the police officers to Kalinkavichy District Prosecutor’s Office. As a result, a new investigation was launched, and the man who attacked Dzianis Rabianok faced similar charges under Article 9.1 of the Administrative Code. However, on the basis that Kalinkavichy police department forwarded the case to the court, violating the statutory period for bringing to administrative responsibility (two months), the assaulter managed to avoid liability for formal reasons.

“From the outset, it was clear that the police were not acting according to the law, but according to an order to punish me for my political and civil activities. Hence, all the irregularities in the appointment of a forensic medical examination, stubborn refusals to examine the witnesses, the mysterious disappearance of a gas canister (it is still unknown whether it is on the approved list and allowed it to be used on the territory of Belarus) and others. Meanwhile, in my complaint to the head of the police department of Kalinkavichy submitted on 26 April, I provided detailed reasons and enumerated all the violations committed by the police inspector who carried out the investigation into the incident and signed the police report against me. The complaint, by the way, is not answered to this day. Therefore, the new check, in my opinion, was deliberately delayed, and the case was deliberately sent late, in order to allow the man escape punishment,” says the UCP activist.

He believes that no criminal proceedings are likely to be instituted against the policemen. “But it is necessary to document abuses by law enforcement agencies in order to be able to demand compensation of moral damages from the offenders and bring them to justice,” says Dzianis Rabianok.