In his final statement Autukhovich didn't admit guilt

As said by the political prisoner, high-ranking officials are taking revenge on him. They had been persecuting him since 2003.

The Supreme Court where consideration of the criminal case of Vaukavysk businessmen continues, has started to listen to the final statements of the accused. Mikalai Autukhovich was the first to speak.

As BelaPAN was informed by the human rights activist Vyachaslau Siuchyk, Autukhovich hasn't plead guilty.

"In great detail he spoke about the facts of corruption in Hrodna region". "He spoke for 2 hours, and there was an impression that he told everything he knew, despite of teh fact that the judge tried to stop him several times. As stated by Autukhovich, this process is continuation of presecution against him which started in 2003, and high-ranking officials are interested in his persecution", Siuchyk said.

Mikhail Kazlou has mada a final statement today as well.

"His statement was more technically formalized. He named the articles of the Criminal Code which had been violated by investigation when investigating the case. Kazlou highly praised action of prosecutor Eldar Safarau. He quoted investigator Klachko who told that if he would close the criminal case against Autukhovich and Asipenka, it would not be "understood", the human rights activist said.

In the second part of the day last statements of the accused are to be continued.

We remind that the Supreme Court is studying the criminal case of Mikhail Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka, Alyaksandr Laryn and Mikhail Kazlou. The three former of them are charged with prepration of a terrorist attack against Deputy Taxes and Duties Minister Vasil Kamenka and a former chairman of Hrodna regional executive committee Uladzimir Sauchanka. Autukhovich and Asipenka are also changed with organsing an arson of the house of the former head of Vaukavysk police department Syarhei Katsuba in 2004. Police colonel Kazlou, a former head of the Department for Organised crime control of Hrodna region, is charged with knowning the plans of the terrorist attack and not preventing them.

On April 16 Prosecutor Eldar Safarau offered to sentence Mikalai Autukhovich to 20 years of imprisonment in a colony with a reinforced regime and seizure of property, Uladzimir Asipenka and Alyaksandr Laryn -- to 11 years in a colony with a reinforced regime; Mikhail Kazlou - to 3 years of colony with a ban to take high positions.

Human rights activists belive this criminal case is politically motivated.