Human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka to stand trial

Today, human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka was expected to appear at the Homieĺ customs office to face administrative charges.

Leanid Sudalenka says he had only an hour to prepare for the visit, as he only received the summons this morning. For this reason, he decided not to go to the customs department.

"We'll have to enter into correspondence with the customs to recall them that in addition to a lawyer and preparing my defense, I am entitled to a journalist, as we have to tell people how customs officers execute ‘delicate missions’ of the border guards. It will be interesting to know why the guards immediately call a senior when they inserted it into a scanner, and he takes the passport and walks away. Then there appear the customs officials: without any explanation, without looking straight in the eyes they use an ‘exceptional measure of customs control’ – a personal inspection, forcing me to remove my trousers, without any reason taking my laptop,” says the human rights activist.

In the recent months, Leanid Sudalenka was twice searched at the border. In the first case, customs officers took the activist’s laptop, later he was dragged out of the train, as the human rights activist said it was illegal and refused to voluntarily leave the train. Now he is awaiting a trial.

For disobeying the orders of an official he faces a fine of up to 9 million rubles or an administrative arrest for up to 15 days.

Source: gomelspring.org