Human rights activist Leanid Svetsik stands closed trial

On June 10, the judge ordered all journalists and witnesses for the human rights to leave the court room at the first session.

The result of the first trial over Vitsebsk human rights activist Leanid Svetsik was his petition to the court asking to explain the essence of the charged presented by prosecutor Syarhei Selikhanau. Svetsik stressed the accusations don’t explain who, when, how and with what purpose had written and spread threatening letters on behalf of unregistered pro-fascist organization RNU (Russian National Unity).

Lawyer of the accused Pavel Sapelka commented on this statement:

“If an accused doesn’t understand an accusation, a body conducted the preliminary investigation criminal case failed to define an accusation decree in a way to give an answer to all questions my client has asked today,” he told “Belorusski Partizan”.

Pavel Sapelka told before the trial the aim of him and his client was to gain withdrawal of accusations and acquittal.

Leanid Svetsik told entering to courtroom:

“I’m going to fight. I go to court to find the truth in this case. I want to gain an acquitting judgement. The rest doesn’t depend on me.”

At the begging of the first trial, a secretary invited to the courtroom only injured persons and direct participants of the process. More than 50 people who wanted to attend the trial crowded at the doors in astonishment.

Judge Halina Urbanovich read out a list of witnesses, more than 30 people. Some of them were surprised to hear their names. Journalists, covering the situation with letters on behalf of the Russian National Unity organization in independent media, head of the Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities Leanid Levin, who read some letters, and human rights activist Pavel LEvinau, whose address was written down on certain envelopes with abbreviation RNU, were included in the list of witnesses for the prosecution. These witnesses were ordered to leave the courtroom in spite of protests of the human rights activist and a journalist.

A recipient of some letters member of the Conservative Christian Party BPF Syarhei Kavalenka, who refused to admit himself an aggrieved person, unfurled a poster “KGB are Fascists” before leaving the courtroom.

The judge forbade taking photo and video of the trial.

Human rights activist Valyantsin Stefanovich noted: “there’s no greater accusation for a human rights defender than that of stirring up national hatred, racism, and so on. So I think this case has an aim of discrediting.”

The trial over the case of human rights activist Leanid Svetsik will be continued.

It should be reminded that in 2006–2007, Leanid Svetsik was rendering legal aid to Vitsebsk activists, who received letters with threats on behalf of unregistered pro-Nazi organization Russian National Unity, was helping to prepare complaints to prosecutors.

A criminal case under article 130.1 of the Criminal Code over fact of threats from RNU was instigated only by the KGB department for the Vitsebsk region on May 20, 2008. Leanid Svetsik was mentioned as a witness in the case, but later he was said he was a suspect person. The criminal case against him was suspended in September 2008. On March 31, 2009, he was charged under two articles of the Criminal Code: stirring up national or religious hatred (article 130) and libel against the president of Belarus (article 367). The human rights activist was given a written pledge not to leave town. Leanid Svetsik doesn’t admit his guilt and think the criminal case is revenge for his human rights activity.

In early April, Front Line, the international foundation for protection of human rights defenders, sent a letter to Alyaksandr Lukashenka asking to stop criminal persecution of human rights activist Leanid Svetsik.