Zmitser Dashkevich’s case to be sent to court soon

Zmitser Dashkevich, the Young Front leaders, is to start studying the materials of his criminal case on February 15.

His lawyer, Pavel Sapelka, refused to say if the case contains enough facts to prove guilt of his client.

“I’ll see the materials tomorrow and then tell you about evidence in the case,” Sapelka told Radio Svaboda.

Zmitser Dashkevich was detained on an accusation of hooliganism on December 17, two days before the presidential elections. The Young Front leader initially got 10 days of administrative arrest, which he served in a detention facility in Akrestin Street, Minsk, and then he was transferred to a detention facility in Zhodzina.

Dashekvich was charged with hooliganism. He and another Young Front activist, Eduard Lobau, allegedly attacked and beat two persons in Minsk. Zmitser Dashkevich and Eduard Lobau insisted on their innocence from the beginning. They said it was a provocation by the security services with an aim of isolating them ahead of the elections.

A number of investigative actions were carried out with participation of Zmitser Dashkevich while he was in the detention facility in Zhodzina. The prisoner said he’d got a cold, had severe cough, was suspected of having TB, but he had no access to an independent professional doctor. Zmitser Dashkevich, denying his guilt, may face up to 10 years in prison.

As for the date when Eduard Lobau, Dashkevich’s “accomplice”, can start familiarizing with the materials of his case, human rights activist Aanstasia Loika keeps in touch with his family.

“I’ve just talked with his mother. She didn’t know Dashkevich would start familizrizing with the case. Lobau wrote in letter he would start studying the case on February 18. I suppose he will study the case this week and the case will be sent to prosecutors and then to court,” the human rights activist said.

Eduard Lobau was also accused of hooliganism.

On February 15, Young Front member Zmitser Yasevich was summoned to the KGB. The youth activist was beaten on Independence Square on December 19 and taken to hospital. Perhaps, it that’s why he wasn’t tried and arrested just after the presidential elections. As it turned out, Yasevich wasn’t forgotten. He has recently received a telephone call from the counter-intelligence service of the KGB and invited for a conversation. Zmitser refused to do it without a summons.

The guy received the summons yesterday. The activist doesn’t know what the secure service want from him, but he doesn’t exclude that psychological pressure may be exerted.

“Maybe they try to intimidate people in order to make one frightened even before a meeting and make him or she agree on cooperation or something else.”

Human rights activists do not rule out yet another person may be charged with participating in mass riot. 42 people are involved in the criminal case of December 19. According to human rights defenders, cases of 5 persons have been completed, 3 cases have been sent to court.