Andrei Haidukou’s appeal to be heard on 27 August

The cassation appeal of Andrei Haidukou convicted for trying to establish contacts with foreign intelligence agencies will be considered by the Supreme Court on August 27.

Andrei Haidukou was convicted on July 1, 2013 under paragraph 1 of Article 14 and Article 356-1 of the Criminal Code (attempt to establish cooperation with the special service, security or intelligence services of foreign states) and sentenced to 1.5 years in prison.

Criminal charges were brought against Andrei Haidukou in early November 2012, when he was arrested by the State Security Committee and placed in the KGB detention center. On November 13, 2012 the State Security Committee reported it had prevented illegal activity by a citizen of the Republic of Belarus, who was reportedly engaged by a foreign intelligence in collection and transmission of information of political and economic nature. Andrei Haidukou faced charges under Art. 356 Part 1 of the Criminal Code (high treason in the form of intelligence activities). During the trial, the charges were reclassified to Part 1 of Article 14 and Article 356-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

Before his arrest, Andrei Haidukou worked as a mechanic at the Naftan refinery in Navapolatsk.

Human rights defenders believe that the sentencing of Andrei Haidukou is groundless and politically motivated, since it is largely aimed at “increasing the role and significance of the KGB in the State using methods that are unacceptable in a democratic society, while deprivation of liberty was used in violation of the right to a fair trial, and other rights and freedoms guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the duration of detention is clearly disproportionate (inadequate) to the offense of which the person has been convicted.”