Fiadynich: 140 Countries In The World Closely Watch ‘Trade Unions Case’

The Global Union IndustriALL expresses its solidarity with the REP trade union.

On July 30, Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik, the leaders of the independent trade union of the radio electronic industry workers (REP), will stand trial, Radio Liberty reports.

Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik are charged with "tax evasion on a particularly large scale" (Part 2 Article 243 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). According to the investigation, due to the "fault of their leaders", the REP trade union underpaid taxes to the state budget for a total of 22,867 rubles 10 kapeikas. The prosecution filed a claim for property damage for this amount.

Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik face restriction of freedom for up to 5 years or imprisonment for a term of 3 to 7 years with confiscation of property.

The trial will be held in the court of the Leninski district, not the Savetski district, where the office of the trade union is registered, Fiadynich said. He believes that this is due to the fact that there are larger courtrooms in the Leninski court:

"Our case is unusual. The trial is open. Therefore, the authorities transferred it there," - Fiadynich added.

The beginning of the trial almost coincided with Fiadynich’s birthday - turns 61 on July 31.

The trade union leader says he has no illusions about a fair trial. He predicts that a precedent with the REP may have great consequences for the entire non-governmental sector in Belarus.

"There was no such precedent in Belarus, when they created a fake e-mail accound, loaded it with forged documents, and then legalize them through the prosecutor's office and the court. Human rights activists, representatives of the Global Union IndustriALL, which unites more than 50 million industrial workers in 140 countries, have already stated that they will closely monitor the trial," - Fiadynich says.

Bialiatski was tried under the same article

Chairman of the human rights center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski stood trial under the same article back in 2011. He was sentenced to 4.5 years of imprisonment in a penal colony with confiscation of property, and was released after three years. Belarusian, European and American human rights activists recognized Bialiatski as political prisoner, the verdict was called politically motivated.

Komlik spent two months behind bars, Fiadynich, from the beginning of the investigation in August 2017, remains under the non-leave obligation.