Political prisoner Rubtsou filed complaint about judge's actions

Yury Rubtsou wants Kiryl Palulekh to pay compensation for emotional distress.

Trial will be held on 15:00 on March 26, Viasna human rights centre writes.

On March 6, judge of Minsk's Leninski district court Veranika Abramovich refused to open a criminal case to recover compensation from judge of the same court Kiryl Palulekh for emotional distress caused to Yury Rubtsou. The judge explained her decision with the lack of jurisdiction.

Rubtsou appealed against the dismissal to the judicial board for civil cases of the Minsk city court. Yury Rubtsou, who serves a term in an open-type prison facility in the village of Kuplin (Pruzhany district), wants judge Kiryl Palulekh to pay 18 average salaries for emotional distress.

“The servant of Themis tried me on behalf of the Republic of Belarus when I was topless, which was a display of disrespect for me as a human being. The actions of the judge as he was performing his duties violated my human dignity, made me feel humiliation and shame before the state symbols, namely the coat of arms and the flag, as well as helplessness before the unlimited power of the official dressed in a judicial robe. I felt desperate and hopeless as I had to stand before the judge and the state symbols topless,” the political prisoner wrote.

If the judicial board dismissed his suit, Yury Rubtsou will use all domestic remedies and submit a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee.

Activist from Homel Yury Rubtsou was sentenced to 1.5 years in an open-type prison facility for “insulting” judge of the Savetski district court Kiryl Palulekh, who agreed to try Rubtsou topless. The activist has been serving his term in the village of Kuplin of the Pruzhany district since the end of 2014.