“Extremism” again: Maksim Viniarski is summoned to police

Activist of "European Belarus" Maksim Viniarski is summoned to the Frunzenski District Police Department of Minsk for August 7 to be issued an official warning for "extremism".

He informed the Human Rights Center “Viasna” about receiving an appropriate subpoena, signed by a senior inspector of the Frunzenski DPD, Major Uladzimir Tchaikouski.

Though the reasons for summoning him to the DPD weren't stated in the document, human rights defenders managed to track them by indirect information.

In particular, it was mentioned that Mr. Viniarski is summoned in conformity with Article 10 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus of February 4, 2007 No.3. This is the Law on combating extremism. According to Article 10, the official warning is issued to "founder (participant), the director, other officer of an organization's governing body, individual entrepreneur, founder of the media, another citizen after detention of traits of preparing to commit actions sanctioned by the first part of article 1 of this Law.

Part 1 of Article 1 of the Act defines extremism as follows:

the activities of political parties and other public associations, religious and other organizations (hereinafter - organizations or citizens of the Republic of Belarus, foreign citizens or stateless persons (hereinafter, unless otherwise indicated, - citizens) in the planning, organization, preparation and implementation of actions aimed at changing the constitutional order, and (or) the territorial integrity of the Republic of Belarus, the seizure or retention of state power through unconstitutional means, the creation of illegal armed groups, terrorist activity, incitement to racial, national or religious hatred, and social strife related to violence or incitement to violence, humiliation of national honor and dignity, organization and implementation of mass riots, acts of hooliganism and vandalism based on racial, ethnic or religious hatred, political or ideological hatred, as well as motives of hatred against a particular social groups, propaganda of exclusivity, superiority or inferiority of citizens on the basis of their religion, social, racial, national, religious or linguistic identity, propaganda and public demonstration, production and distribution of Nazi symbols or paraphernalia;

impeding the lawful activities of state bodies, including the Central Commission for Elections and National Referendums, election commissions, referendum commissions or commissions of voting on the recall of a deputy, as well as the legitimate activities of the officials of these bodies or commissions, committed with violence, threat of force, fraud, bribery, as well as the use of violence or threat of violence against relatives of these persons in order to prevent the legitimate activities of these officials, forced change in the nature of such activities, or revenge for the execution of their duties;

public calls to the aforementioned activities and actions, funding or other assistance in their implementation, including through the provision of real estate, telecommunications facilities, training, printing, and other logistical resources or information services.

We still don't know which parts of this list will be imptued to Mr. Viniarski. Hopefully, we will learn it tomorrow, in case he wouldn't be forced to sign an undertaking not to disclose any information related to the warning.