Korzhych's Fellow Soldier: Chiefs Saw What Was Happening, But Did Nothing

Those who are rank higher than sergeants, who were put on trial, knew about the crimes in Pechy.

On August 17, the Minsk Regional Court's eighth court session begins in the Moscow District Court of Minsk. The court is considering the case of the death of 21-year-old Aliaksandr Korzhych in the military training center in Pechy.

Three Sergeants – 23-year-old Yauhen Baranouski, 20-year-old Yahor Skuratovich and 22-year-old Anton Viazhevich, – are on the dock, Euroradio reports.

There are no officers in the dock. Sergeants are charged under part 1, 2 of Art. 430 (bribe taking by an official) and part 3 of Art. 455 of the Criminal Code (abuse and excess of official powers that entailed grave consequences). Baranouski is also charged under part 1 of Art. 205 (theft). He pleaded partially guilty to all charges, Skuratovich and Viazhevich pleaded not guilty to part 3 of Art. 455 – the one that concerns the death of the soldier Korzhych.

At the hearing the court continues to question the victims. On August 16, common soldier Aliaksandr Novak, who served in the same company with Sasha Korzhych, mentioned that the military, who were higher in ranks than the accused sergeants, had repeatedly seen how the soldiers were pushing-up on the sergeants' orders, but did nothing to stop them. Other victims mentioned cases when accused sergeants forced them to pay money or bring food for the opportunity to go to the store or use mobile phones, and also resorted to physical punishment for minimal offenses or for no reason.

Sasha Korzhych's body was found hanged in the basement of a military unit premises on October 3, 2017. The soldier hung in the loop for seven days. He had his legs tied, and his head wrapped in a T-shirt. The investigation lasted six months. On April 19, the Investigative Committee reported that Korzhych had been brought to the suicide by fellow soldiers. Korzhych's mother does not believe in this version, and other soldiers say that Korzhych had no reasons to settle accounts with life.