Regime camouflages repressions against opposition

It has turned out at the court against Artsyom Dubski that he is charged with violation of a completely different article of the Criminal Code. Protest rallies are held near the building of the court.

As we have informed, the trial over “Young Front” activist has started today in Asipovichy city court. First the oppositionist, a former participant of the Process of Fourteen, was charged with alleged violation of the rules of serving the sentence for his participation in a protest rally of market vendors. Under Article 415 of the Criminal Code of Belarus he faced from 6 months to 3 years of imprisonment.

But it has in the court that the oppositionist is charged with violation of the article 216 Part 1 of the Criminal Code “infliction of damage to property without signs of a theft”. Artsyom Dubski is charged with alleged using of a SIM-card of another person in order to access Internet. He allegedly had a debt of 3 million Br for this service.

Before the arrest and trial the Young Front activist commented the charges against him:

“Some facts look very strange. For instance, how come that “Velcom” which always counts its money and blocks its clients for a debt of a few thousand Br, hadn’t done that with a huge minus at the account? 5 millions is a huge sum.

Secondly, why the SIM-card lost in April is searched only now, and only now its owner has been found? Technically it is very easy to do all these things”.

Today in the court the “Young Front” activist stated that during the investigation he testified under pressure of police and he does not admit guilt.

Protest rallies are geld near the building of the court. Young people are scanning “Power to people, freedom to Dubski!” the leader of the “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich, a co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Pavel Sevyarynets, one of the leaders of “Jeans for Freedom” movement, an activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Pavel Yukhnevich, a democratic activist Vyachaslau Siuchyk and others came to support the activist.

A participant of the Process of Fourteen Artsyom Dubski was arrested on February 13 in Homel on his way from Ukraine. The oppositionist is charged with alleged violation of rules of serving the sentence for participation in a protest rally of businessmen. He faces from 6 months to 3 years of imprisonment. Dubski was living in Ukraine because a second criminal action was initiated against him in Belarus.

As we have informed, the “Process of Fourteen” is a case initiated under Article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus against participants of the peaceful protest rally of busineemen held in Minsk on January 10, 2008.

For participation in this protest a young activist Andre Kim was sentenced to a year and a half of a colony (he was released in August 2008). An activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Alyaksandr Barazenka was sentenced to 1 year of restriction of liberty without sending him to a penal colony. He was kept in remand jail from October 27 to December 9, 2008. Other participants of the Process of Fourteen – Alyaksei Bondar, Artsyom Dubski, Mikhal Kryvau, Mikhal Pashkevich, Ales Straltsou, Ales Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tsishkevich, Mikhail Subach and Paval Vinahradau, were sentenced to 2 years of restriction of freedom without sending them to penitentiary institutions. Minor Maxim Dashuk got 1.5 years of restraint of liberty.

Now all of them in fact are under house arrest, under close surveillance, and can be imprisoned for any insignificant violation of rules at any moment.