Leanid Sudalenka is questioned as a witness in the case of pornography distribution

May 13 the HomieÍ regional department of the Investigative Committee questioned human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka, Chairman of the HomieÍ branch of the NGO "Legal Initiative" as a witness in the criminal case.

Let us remind that the Investigative Committee instigated a criminal case under part 2 of article 343 of the Criminal Code, “distribution of pornographic materials via the Internet”, regarding the alleged distribution of pornographic movies from the e-mail address belonging to the human rights activist (sudalenko@mail.ru). Pornographic materials had allegedly been sent from that E-mail address and the IP-address registered in the social and political center in Palieskaja Street, 52 to the Saviecki District Inspection on Dues and Taxes of HomieÍ and HomieÍ Regional Department of the Investigative Committee.

On May 13, questioning regarded mostly technical issues: when the human rights defender registered the E-mail address, how long he has been using it, who had access to the Internet in Paleskaja Street, 52.

The investigator informed the human rights activist that the computers that had been seized during the “examination” in Palieskaja Street, 52 had been passed for an expert examination and could be returned to their owners after its completion. The investigation has also sent inquiries to the technical service of mail.ru. As a rule, one has to wait 1-2 months or even longer for an answer.

Earlier, Mr. Sudalenka had presented to the investigation evidence that he had nothing to do with the crime. In particular, he presented scans of his correspondence with the technical service of mail.ru that the aforementioned E-mail address had been hacked in December 2014 and the human rights defender hadn't controlled it since then. What concerns the IP-address, Wi-Fi in Palieskaja Street could be used by any person who visited events in the social-political center located on this address.

Let us remind that on April 8 a search was held at the socio-political center in Palieskaja Street, 52 and in the apartment of Mr. Sudalenka. As a result, the system units of four computers were taken away, allegedly for an examination. The search in the apartment of Mr. Sudalenka took place while he was away at a human rights conference in Sweden.

The police explained that some pornography had allegedly been sent from the e-mail addresssudalenko@mail.ru and the IP-address belonging to the socio-political center in Palieskaja Street, 52. The human rights activist didn't use this e-mail address after it had been hacked. Many public events, seminars and meetings are held at the socio-political center. Many people know the password from the Wi-Fi, which also used to be written at the blackboard for a long time. That's why somebody could use that Wi-Fi connection even outside the building. Mr. Sudalenka states that this criminal case is a brutal provocation. He reminds that a month ago he demanded that the Homiel Regional Department of the Investigation Committee find the IP and the persons who were publishing insults addressed to him and threatened to kill his children. However, the police failed to do it. The prosecutor's office demanded that these persons be found, but the second reply was negative as well.

It's worth reminding that computer equipment has been repeatedly seized from the socio-political center in Palieskaja, 52 under various pretexts in 2001, 2007 and 2011. This was done during political campaigns, such as presidential elections.