German «experts» help the regime to keep back the truth about political prisoners
22- 23.07.2009, 10:52
An expert's opinion of Martin Finke on the case of Mikalai Autukhovich is being sent out to embassies of EU countries in Minsk.
The expert’s opinion reads that there are no irregularities in judicial proceedings in the case of political prisoner, Nasha Niva newspaper was told by a human rights activist Aleh Vouchak.
Professor Martin Finke, Passau University (Lower Bavaria), visited Minsk on July 8-10, where he studied materials of the case. In such a short period of time he prepared his professional conclusion. It is likely he met with investigator Vitaly Kukharchyk. He hasn’t met either with Autukhovich, or with his lawyer Paval Sapelka, or diplomats.
“Questions suggest themselves: who has invited the German citizen, who received him and financed him?” Aleh Vouchak asks. The human rights activist insists on international expert examination of Autukhovich’s case, but providing it would be open and public.
“Considering that the criminal case is closed, and even the lawyer cannot study all the materials of the case until the end of investigation, the visit of the German expert is very alarming,” Aleh Vouchak said. “Criminal procedure legislation clearly defines who has access to the case: a suspect, a wronged person, a prosecutor, investigator and a defense lawyer – that’s all. There are also experts, but Belarusian experts. So strictly speaking the prosecutor’s office didn’t have a right to allow the expert studying the materials of the case”.
As we have informed, Mikalai Autukhovich and two activists of the entrepreneurs’ movement from Vaukavysk Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained on February 8 with the approval of the prosecutor of the Hrodna region. On February 18, the three were charged under article 218 of the Criminal Code (intentional damage to or destruction of property of citizens).
In the remand prison of Minsk Mikalai Autukhovich was on hunger strike for 3 months. It was stopped on July 16. As said by his lawyer Paval Sapelka, over the hunger strike he lost more than 35 kilograms.
Human rights activists consider the detained to be political prisoners drawing attention to the fact that Autukhovich and Lyavonau were convicted before and found prisoners of conscience by the international community.
