Aleh Vouchak: All HR Defenders Should Recognize Defendants In “Patriots Case” As Political Prisoners

This will affect the confinement conditions and facilitate sooner release of the innocent people.

Former investigator of the public prosecutor’s office, head of the human rights organization “Legal Assistance to Population” Aleh Vouchak has said this in an interview to the Charter97.org.

- You have been providing legal aid to the population as a human rights defender not for the first year, how can you assess the "White Legion" case? In your opinion, is it politically motivated?

- Initially, I had doubts about this case. It emerged not by chance. The case came afloat before the Freedom Day, when mass protests were planned. It was necessary to divert attention, to show that there is a threat to the national security, to prevent the people from coming out to the rally. A group of people has been pinned to the already existing fabricated case.

All this is nothing more than speculation, even what is shown on TV: models of weapons, moldings - any amateur club, interested in the World War II, has such. If those people really provided any threat - they would have been arrested 7-8 years ago, and so it turns out that the security services have been simply watching them all the time, and only now decided to arrest them.

The naked eye can see that not everything is so smooth in this case and that the authorities will have to release the defendants.

For example, they are in the combatants’ case, but in order to recognize them as such at least two criteria should be met: the participation in combat operations and the conduct of professional training to youth.

- Why is the official recognition of these people as political prisoners necessary? Would it affect the state of affairs?

- Certainly it would. All human rights defenders should give exactly this assessment with regard to the case and protect the guys. All this reminds me of how cases were made up in 1937-38: Polish spies, German spies, Japanese spies - and no facts: no. I know these peace-loving people personally - they love their country, are interested in Belarusian history.

Besides, I was involved into the activity of the military-patriotic clubs in 1988-89. Of course we had a conventional enemy, learned how to defend ourselves. Meanwhile, pro-Russian youth organizations, clubs and various Cossack movements seamlessly work in the country, nobody touches them. Therefore, certainly, the recognition is important, it will affect the confinement conditions and facilitate quick release.

"Legal Assistance to Population", along with other organizations and politicians, recognized the defendants in the case of the "White Legion" as political prisoners. Now it’s the turn of the international organizations and governments. Our position is expressed and we are working in this direction.