Mother of inmate who died in Svetlahorsk prison goes to court

The decision to file a complaint was taken after Valiantsina Akulich received another runaround reply from district prosecutor Uladzimir Tarasenka, which showed the meaninglessness of further correspondence with prosecutors. Mr.Tarasenka considered the woman’s complaint, without studying the materials of a probe into the death of her son.

The woman is seeking criminal punishment for Svetlahorsk police department employees A. Bachko and R. Stseshankou, who are to blame, as she insists, for the death of her son, Aliaksandr Akulich, in May last year.

The Investigative Committee has repeatedly refused to opena criminal investigation into the death of her son, and she has repeatedly appealed the refusals.

The latest response traditionally argues that “the decision to dismiss the criminal case was legal, the inspection was comprehensive, there areno grounds for cancellation of the decision.”

But can one claim the probe was“comprehensive” when the next paragraph saysthat “on 25.11.2013 the materialsof inquiry into the death of A.A. Akulich was sent to the Prosecutor’s Office of Homel region in order to study and verify the legality of the decision, where it currentlyis.” This response is dated 13.12.2013, while Valiantsina Akulich’s complaint was received by the Prosecutor's Office on December 12. It turns out that the prosecutor replied to the woman without reference to the materials of the investigation.

In case of disagreement, Uladzimir Tarasenka offers to appeal his decision to the Prosecutor’sOffice of Homel region. However,activists of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", who have assisted Mrs. Akulich in appealing procedures, say that after studying the case in the regional Prosecutor's Office it must be sent to the court.