Human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka writes to police about threats to his children
Human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka with his three sons
Leanid Sudalenka, chairman of the Homel city branch of the public association “Legal Initiative”, has lodged a complaint with the police department of the Homel Regional Executive Committee. He asks the police to identify the individual or legal person (IP-address), which administers the website gomelbest.com and which committed, in his opinion, a criminal offense under Article 186 of the Criminal Code (threat of homicide). The human rights activist asks to prosecute the person who committed the crime.
The site gomelbest.com has been used by unknown persons for over five years to post information defaming local opposition and human rights activists, independent journalists. Local pro-democratic forces have tried many times to bring the detractors to justice, writing statements to the police and prosecutors. However, law enforcement agencies have been unable to react properly giving formal replies that “it is not possible to identify the persons who have posted the information”.
In February, there appeared an article entitled “Stars for Human Rights Defender”, which features a photo of Leanid Sudalenka and contains slander information discrediting the human rights defenders’ activities.
“Unknown author published information in the form of mental pressure against me, putting pressure on my will, attempted to instill in me fear and uncertainty over the safety of my minor children, thereby committed a criminal offense under Article 186 of the Criminal Code, “threat of homicide, serious bodily harm or destruction of property”. I took threats addressed to me as real, I had every reason to fear the realization of these death threats against my minor children,” says Leanid Sudalenka in a statement to the police.
The publication also focuses on the legal aid provided by the human rights defender to the mother of Aliaksandr Hrunou, who was executed on murder charges.
“Leanid, imagine that one of your sons did not reach his house, because he was caught by a schoolmate holding a grudge for a few months... 101 stabs... And imagine that you represent his interests in court and write on behalf of him a “strategic” complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee. Money does not stink, but the law of the boomerang has not been canceled,” threatens the unknown author.
