Siarhei Verameyenka: I Will Make Complaint About Police-Perjurers

Hrodna activists succeed in getting case on "internet picket" dismissed today.

Judge of the Leninsky district court of Hrodna Ruslan Huryn delivered a verdict on the case of activists Volha and Siarhei Verameyenka from Hrodna: "the case is closed due to the absence of an offense," Radio Svaboda reports. A police witness has previously called the case an "Internet picket".

The court was to hear the testimony of the district police officer Uladzimir Kazlouski, who had drawn a report against Verameyenka, but he failed to appear in the court. Later, a court secretary reported that his father died at the night before the court hearing.

Siarhei Verameyenka insisted that the court should be postponed, but judge Ruslan Huryn did not satisfy his request. After a break Huryn delivered the decision:

"The case is closed due to the absence of an offense."

People in the courtroom didn't expect that, and when the judge was already leaving, they applauded to him.

Right after the trial, Siarhei Verameyenka told reporters that he was satisfied with the decision, although he came to court having warm things in his backpack:

"You see, our judicial system is such that you can't rely on the law. Orders are given from above: today they may declare you not guilty, but tomorrow they will give a fine or days in prison. Just our case was so absurd that they could not convict us. Especially after it all got into the media and the absurdness became obvious. Nevertheless, I am going to file a complaint about perjury of police officers who fabricated the case."

Volha Verameyenka is satisfied with the decision of the court and says that she had a hope that it would turn out that way, because she initially thought that the protocol drawn up on them was the initiative of one police officer:

"In general, the decision was unexpected. But it seemed to me that the protocols were drawn against us on the initiative of the police officer Vojteško, whose rank is too small. Therefore, it seemed to me that they could cancel such an order. And so it happened. Although I, like Siarhei, came to the court with my clothes, since they could give me days in prison. We can't tell for sure what can happen in such situations."

The Chairman of the Hrodna office of BPF Vadzim Saranchukou, a lawyer by diploma, watched the process from the beginning. Immediately after the trial, he stated that the process was absurd from the very beginning and it had nothing to do with justice:

"The court delivered a decision that is beneficial to the authorities. After all, if the process had been conducted according to the law, then no one would have accepted such a case for consideration. Veremeenko allegedly held a mass action on the Internet - this is juridical idiocity. I am satisfied with the decision of the judge, but I can't say that the whole process was legal."

Let us remind, Siarhei and Volha Verameyenka were triad for posting photos on Internet, in which they were holding a white-red-white flag and which were signed "There are people just like Vasil in Hrodna" and "Just Like Vasil!!!" According to the protocol, they were accused of holding a picket with a white-red-white flag.

Siarhei and Volha did not plead guilty and explained that they took the pictures with a white-red-white flag a week before Siarhei processed them in "Photoshop" and put inscriptions. They had no calls, demands or posters.

Siarhei Verameyenka posted pictures on his own page in the Internet, as he himself stated in the court, to show his solidarity with Homel activist Vasil Paliakou, who was unfairly convicted and punished with 15 days in prison for holding a white-red-white flag during a street action.