Prosecutor’s office makes excuses for illegal arrest of Zmitser Khvedaruk
- 18.03.2009, 13:45
The prosecutor’s office of Pershamajski district of Minsk hasn’t found any violations in the illegal arrest of the youth activist Zmitser Khvedaruk.
“Politically motivated” conscription of young activists to the army is a violation as such, but it has become a norm for Belarus. But as it turns out, in the recent cases of forcible draft of young activists to the army other previously unnoticed violations exist.
On January 28 the activist of the Young Front Zmitser Khvedaruk was detained for serving the sentence for participation in the rally “Belarus to Europe!” held on May 1, 2008. He was taken first into a police department, and then into prison, to serve the 10-day arrest. On February 29 Khvedaruk was taken from prison into a hospital, but he refused to be checked there. Despite of this fact, doctors made a conclusion that he is fit of military service.
As informed by the human rights centre “Viasna”, the decree on punishment for participation in the rally “Belarus to Europe!” for Khvedaruk was issued on May 12. According to the article 13.6 of the Code of Execution Procedure, the term of execution of punishment in administrative cases is 3 months. But it is notable that from the moment when the decree appeared 8 months passed till the arrest. Lawyer of Zmitser Khvedaruk, Paval Sapelka, paid attention to this fact. He sent a complaint to the prosecutor’s office of Pershamajski district of Minsk about illegal actions of officers of Pershamajski police department of Minsk.
The answer of the prosecutor office is surprising: “under the given circumstances, no significant violations of the law on administrative cases order by officers of the Pershamajski police department have been found”.
Besides it is stated in the answer of the prosecutor’s office:
“…in connection with the breaches of the article 13.6 of the Code of Execution Procedure, the prosecutor’s office has sent report to the head of the Pershamajski police department to take appropriate measures, aimed at prevention of such breaches in the future work”.
It turns out that nobody is responsible for the illegal arrest of Zmitser Khvedaruk, though the Code of Execution Procedure of Belarus was violated.
As infrom3ed by the human rights centre “Viasna”, the adopted decision is to be challenged in Mink city prosecutor’s office.
