Is key participant of "hunters' case" found?

On April 2 a journalist of charter97.org website Natallya Radzina, a journalist of Russian "Novaya gazeta" and the editor-in-chief of "Narodnaya Volya" Svetlana Kalinkina visited the police department of Pershamajski district of Minsk.

Natallya Radzina's interrogation lasted for 2.5 hours and was videoed. The senior interrogating officer of the Interior Affairs department of Homel Alyaksandr Puseu, who arrived to Minsk deliberately for interrogation, was interested how the letter signed by relatives of the arrested Homel policemen, involved in the so-called "hunters' case", was posted at the website. The former head of the KGB directorate of Homel region found the letter to be defamatory. However, the investigators were most of all interested by work and functioning of charter97.org website.

"In the end of the record of interrogation I have made a note: "I call upon law-enforcing agencies to leave journalists in peace. I promise that no letters of relatives of arrested policemen, KGB men or workers of prosecutor's office will be posted on the website any more. I advise you to fight for your rights independently," Natallya Radzina said after the interrogation.

As said by the journalist, the interrogating officer Puseu's conduct was rather good. However in the end of the procedure he shocked her by a remark that "she had painted a bruise under her eye very unreally". We remind that during the search on March 16 in the news office of charter97.org website a policeman in mufti who tried to burst into the office, punched Natallya Radzina in the face by his fist. The medicolegal investigation officialy established that the blow had been inflicted to the journalist.

"I am shocked that the interrogating officer ignores the facts established by the medicolegal investigation. I think unbiased investigation of this case is out of the question then. It is not enough for them that they have started an attack against female journalists, carrying out searches at their places, seizing ecquipment, making them to go to interrogations, what is more, they are trying to insult them and humiliate their dignity. In fact it demonstrates weakness and amorality of Lukashenka's state system," Natallya Radzina said.

Iryna Khalip was familiarized with the order for holding an expert examination of the ecquipment seized from her and her husband, the leader of the civil campaign "European Belarus" Andrei Sannikov. The expert criminalistical centre of the Interior Affairs Ministry will do this work. This procedure usually takes about a month, but this term can be extended if needed. After the examination by experts the ecquipment is either to be returned or to become a part of the materials in the criminal case. As for the notebook seized from the journalist on March 5 at Belarusian-Lithuanian border, as said by the interrogating officer, it is in the KGB directorate of Minsk at the moment," Iryna Khalip said.

Svyatlana Kalinkina received back her notebooks seized during the search. She was told her equipment was still being examined. The journalist’s request to be present at the examination was denied by the investigator. He explained it could hinder objectivity of the investigation. Besides, Puseu said a journalist’s digital voice recorder had been attached to the materials of the case. “I was surprised to hear this, I have only three recorded interviews – with an ambassador, politician, and lawyer. They didn’t bear any relation to the hunters’ case,” Svyatlana Kalinkina told.

We remind that Belarusian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka said today: “I have begun to give more and more attention to the situation in the media, both our and Russian. There has recently been a scandal about some opposition newspapers and journalists. We’ll provide you with information after the examination, because these opposition clans have their centers in Russia.” It is unclear in this situation how anyone can speak about secrecy of investigation if Lukashenka makes such a statement. This is direct pressure by investigators. The Belarusian ruler gave to understand today who was a chief figure in the case.