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Final ‘Charges’ Brought Against Henadz Fiadynich, Ihar Komlik

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Final ‘Charges’ Brought Against Henadz Fiadynich, Ihar Komlik
IHAR KOMLIK (TO THE LEFT) AND HENADZ FIADYNICH

The authorities seem to be looking for trouble in the form of sanctions.

On May 8, leaders of the Belarusian REP trade union Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik were finally charged with tax evasion on a particularly large scale (Part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus).

- We are accused under Part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code - tax evasion on an especially large scale. The investigation concluded: I and Komlik are to blame for the fact that in 2011 the REP union did not pay taxes to the state budget in the amount of 22,867 rubles 10 kapeikas (taking into account the denomination).

I do not recognize guilt and will never do. I believe that the case is politically motivated, the main purpose of it is to exert pressure on me as a trade union leader, on the REP trade union and on the independent trade union movement as a whole, " - the leader of the REP trade union told praca-by.info.

The investigation points out that the criminal prosecution of unidentified persons in the criminal case was terminated on May 7, 2018, as there were no such persons.

- The investigators conducted hundreds of interrogations throughout the country. Obviously, as a result of interrogations, the investigation concluded that there are no crimes in the actions of the interviewed persons. Only Fiadynich and Komlik remain to be charged, "- Henadz Fiadynich underlined.

The leaders of the REP trade union were given a month to study the materials of the case, after which the criminal case will be sent to the court.

- Within a month we should familiarize ourselves with the materials of the case (about ten volumes). I remain under a written non-leave obligation, and therefore my participation in the International Labor Conference, which will be held May 29 - June 4 in Geneva, is under question," - the leader of the REP trade union said.

On April 17-19 Belarus was visited by the joint mission of the International Confederation of Trade Unions and the Global Union IndustriAll. The mission expressed concern to the Belarusian government about the persecution of independent trade unions and violation of workers' rights in Belarus. A separate issue at the talks was the discussion of the criminal case against the leaders of the REP. Deputy Secretary General of the Global Union IndustriAll Kemal Ӧzkan said that the mission delivered an ultimatum to the Belarusian government and demanded to stop the criminal prosecution of the leaders of the REP.

On August 2, 2017, the Department of Financial Investigations of the KGB conducted searches at the central office of the Belarusian Trade Union of Radioelectronic Industry Workers in Minsk, a similar search was conducted in Salihorsk at the office of the Independent Trade Union of Miners. The leaders of the REP were accused of tax evasion on a particularly large scale.

Ihar Komlik spent two months behind bars, on the evening of October 2, 2017, he was released under a non-leave obligation.

The preliminary investigation of the criminal case was extended several times - the deadline expired on May 1. The final charge against the leaders of the REP was brought on May 8.

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