Article 193.1: Lawyer Tamara Siarhei fails in challenging Prosecutor General's warning

“The Prosecutor's Office and the court followed the instruction of the Presidential Administration,” said lawyer Tamara Siarhei in her comments on a decision taken by the civil division of the Minsk City Court on October 24. An official warning issued to the lawyer by the General Prosecutor's Office over criminal responsibility for organizing the activities of an unregistered public association took effect immediately after the decision was announced.

The cassation court found no violations of procedural law in the decision of the Tsentralny District Court Judge Ivan Maiseichyk, who on July 29 dismissed Tamara Siarhei’s complaint, confirming the legality and validity of the official warning by the General Prosecutor's Office.

The decision of the Minsk City Court was taken despite the fact that the lawyer presented irrefutable evidence of manipulation of facts, falsification of evidence underlying the judgment.

Commenting on the allegations, Mrs. Siarhei said, “At the hearing on July 29 the Prosecutor General’s Office provided as evidence of its position a copy of the departure of hybrid mail, which was missing my signature. In addition, the post office service marks say the letter was sent on July 10, 2012, and received according to a stamp by the Administration of the President on July 9, 2012. However, the court did not assess who of the staff of the Presidential Administration moved time backwards. With this and similar evidence the prosecutors labeled me the leader of an unregistered public association, and on that basis punished me with an official warning.”