Human rights activist Leanid Svetsik to stand trial soon

Human rights activist Leanid Svetsik finished familiarizing with materials of the case, instigated against him by the Vitsebsk regional KGB department.

The documents will soon be sent to the prosecutor’s office and then to court. The human rights activist continues to deny his guilt in “stirring up national hatred” and “libel against Alyaksandr Lukashenka”, Radio Svaboda reports.

According to Leanid Svetsik, there are 11 250-300-page parts of the materials of the criminal case against him. He is charged with stirring up national hatred under article 130 part 1 of the Criminal Code on the ground of letters with threats on behalf of the Vitsebsk branch of the Russian National Unity sent to local civil and opposition activists in 2006–2007.

Leanid Svetsik regards persecution by the KGB as revenge for his human rights activity – he helped the activists to make up complaints to militia and prosecutor’s office in order the latter to find the people sending the letters. Militiamen refused to look for the authors, they said it was impossible to find them as the Russian National Unity wasn’t registered in Belarus.

Leanid repeatedly emphasized that people in Belarus are punished for activity on behalf of unregistered organizations, setting the “Young Front” as an example, and demanded to bring RNU activists to responsibility. But in the criminal case instigated by the local KGB department, he was a witness, then a suspected, and, according to on order of March 31, an accused.