Khotsimsk Prosecutor’s Office again justifies detention of candidate

Valery Karankevich, a civil society activist from the town of Khotsimsk, received yesterday a response to his complaint from the Mahiliou Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

The response signed by District Prosecutor Iryna Khuchava says that the Prosecutor’s Office has investigated the actions of the Khotsimsk police department employees who March 23, 2014 detained Valery Karankevich, then a candidate for the Mahiliou Regional Council in constituency No. 54 and a candidate for the Khotsimsk District Council in constituency No. 13. The candidate was detained at the entrance to polling station No. 3 in Khotsimsk. However, the Prosecutor says that the detention was “legitimate, as it does not contradict the current legislation, in connection with which a check of your complaint is dismissed”.

Iryna Khuchava also says that the ex-candidate may appeal against the decision to a higher body.

Valery Karankevich says he is outraged by this response and will certainly appeal against it.

“Prosecutor of Khotsimsk district sent me a long answer in two pages, in which she asserts that the facts stated in my complaint have not been confirmed, and that I really was detained at about 8 p.m. on March 23 by employees of the Khotsimsk police department and taken to the police station “for questioning in compliance with Article 10.12 of the Procedural Executive Code for Administrative Offenses following a statement by M.V. Tamashou about bringing you to administrative liability for defamation” and it was done legally,” says Valery Karankevich. “Iryna Khuchava again bypasses the fact that I’m not a persistent offender and was not going to escape, so why did employees of the Khotsimsk police department rushed to detain me and took to the police station? Was it really necessary for the police officers to detain me at the polling station on the eve of the counting of votes, even if there was some sort of statement?”

“I am very disappointed with this response, which essentially repeats the conclusions of the previous response from the Khotsimsk District Prosecutor I. Savastseyeu, which said that “the actions of the employees of the police department of Khotsimsk are legitimate and do not contradict the current legislation,” says the activist.

“Tomorrow I'll go to Mahiliou to seek help from a human rights activist Baris Bukhel, and I will definitely appeal against the Prosecutor’s response to a higher agency. We cannot allow prosecutors cover police lawlessness,” says Valery Karankevich.

Earlier, Valery Karankevich received a response to his complaint from the Mahiliou Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

“It is established that a decision on your complaint to the Khotsimsk District Prosecutor’s Office was taken on the basis of incomplete investigating of circumstances of the incident, therefore the materials have been sent for an additional check to the Khotsimsk District Prosecutor’s Office. The results of the decision taken will be reported to you by the District Prosecutor. For inadequate consideration of the complaint, Assistant Prosecutor of Khotsimsk District M.M. Belavusau will be deprived of bonuses for May 2014,” said the Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

Prior to that, Valery Karankevich had addressed the Prosecutor of Khotsimsk district with a request to conduct verification of the circumstances of his detention without charges, to investigate these violations and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

In his reply to the complaint, District Prosecutor I. Savastseyeu wrote that “the actions of the police department Khotsimsk are competent and do not contradict the current legislation”.

Valery Karankevich is a member of the BPF Party, he also collaborates with the “Tell the Truth” campaign.