Criminal case against Yury Lyavonau closed

Three more political prisoners remain behind the bars – Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka, and Artsyom Dubski.

Entrepreneur from Vaukavysk Yury Lyavonau received a notice on closing a criminal case under article 218 part 2 (intentional damage to or destruction of property) instigated allegedly for arson of officials’ houses.

As Yury Lyavonau told in an interview to www.charter97.org, the notice also says that a new criminal case against him was instigated under article 406 part 2 for the fact “Lyavonau had an opportunity to prevent a crime, but didn’t inform the appropriate bodies and persons about the imminent grave or especially grave crime.” Taking into account this crime of Lyavonau is not socially dangerous and of limitation for bringing to criminal responsibility is two years, criminal persecution of the entrepreneur under article 406 part 2 has been stopped because the period of limitation expired.

The regulation was signed by Viktar Klachko, head of the investigation team on the case of Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka, and Yury Lyavonau, the head of the department of investigation of especially grave crimes of past years of the Main Organized Crime Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“So, the authorities had to admit that the criminal case against me fell to pieces, all accusations were untenable. They decided to find an elegant solution to the problem – instigation and closing of a new criminal case. But they still can’t admit groundlessness of accusations to Autukhovich and Asipenka, so, innocent people have to remain in prison. The same absurd charges were brought against them. An open trial could show innocence of Autukhovich and Asipenka,” Yury Lyavonau told www.charter97.org.

We remind that Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained in Vaukavysk on February 8. On February 18, the entrepreneurs were charged under article 218 of the Criminal Code (intentional damage to or destruction of property of citizens). On June 23, a criminal case under article 359 of the Criminal Code (a terroristic act) in the form of preparation (article 13) was instigated against Autukhovich and “other persons”, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.

Human rights activists consider the detained to be political prisoners drawing attention to the fact that Autukhovich and Lyavonau were convicted before and recognized prisoners of conscience by the international community.

Lyavonau was released from the pre-trial detention office in Minsk on his own recognition on August 8. All investigating activities against him were stopped. The Vaukavysk entrepreneurs may stand trial in November.

On July 7, 2009, “Young Front” activist Artsyom Dubski was sentenced to a year in a minimum security penal colony for violation of the rules of serving punishment in the Case of 14.