Belarusian anarchists recognized political prisoners

“Vyasna” human rights centre and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee have recognized Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dzyadok, Alyaksandr Frantskevich political prisoners of the current Belarusian regime.

Such a decision has been made by human rights activists basing upon a special analysis of the so-called “Anarchists’ case.”

According to the conclusion of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, this decision is based upon the following findings:

1. The preliminary investigation in the criminal case was accompanied by serious irregularities in judicial proceedings, including violations of the convicts’ rights. Detention of I. Alinevich in Moscow and taking him to the remand prison of the KGB in Minsk was carried out with gross violations of the regular procedures, including the procedure of citizens’ extradition from the territory of Russia to Belarus.

During the court trial the convicts I. Alinevich, M. Dzyadok, A. Frantskevich stated that in the process of preliminary investigation illegal actions had been used against them: psychological pressure and tortures. During the judicial proceedings a number of witnesses who retracted their testimony also stated that tortures had been used against them.

2. Flagrant violations of convicts’ rights afford ground to state that legal proceedings had not been impartial, full and comprehensive, and the imposed sentence is ungrounded and illegal. The conviction passed under such circumstances should be overturned, and the case should be remanded for a new trial.