Patriot Miraslau Lazouski: We Are To Find Way Out From Any Situation

The events of the last days form a certain "chain".

On September 21, the term for the investigation of the "patriots' case" is coming to an end. One of its defendants, Miraslau Lazouski, told Narodnaya Volia about how he had remained without a lawyer, and predicted what would happen to the case further.

We remind that the detentions started after Lukashenka's statement on March 21 this year that "dozens of militants" had been detained in Belarus, who had "trained in armed camps". Within a few days it became known about 35 detainees. At first it was reported that the matter was about the "preparation of mass riots" (Part 3, Article 233 of the Criminal Code), later there appeared an accusation of "creating an illegal armed formation and participating in it" (Art.287 of the Criminal Code).

In June, the case was passed to the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus. Meanwhile, the defendants were gradually released. On June 30, the last prisoner, former head of the White Legion Miraslau Lazouski was released.

– It seems to me that the investigation term will be stretched out, – Miraslau Lazouski says. – And now, there’s complete silence. The investigator has not summoned me, nothing has been reported... As if there was no loud criminal case and mass detentions.

– Why do you think the investigation term will be stretched out?

– Not long ago, my lawyer Hanna Bakhtsina was deprived of her license. She has about forty years of the legal experience, and she has been deprived of the license. That’s a laugh! Therefore, I think, all these are the links in one chain.

– Who will defend you instead of Hanna Bakhtsina?

– I have been left without a lawyer, I am looking for a new one. But to do this in view of the situation that has developed with Bakhtsina, as you understand, is not so simple. But I think we'll find some way out. As my grandmother used to say, it never happened so that nothing was there.