‘In Struggle For Freedom, Ends Justify Means’

The defending anarchists have made the last speech in court.

In the Savetski district court of Minsk, court arguments took place in the case of the attack against the buildings of the Minsk City Court and the pre-trial detention center #1 in the Valadarski Street. The episodes of the case took place on September 25, October 13, 20 last year. Activists of the anarchist movement Ivan Komar and Mikita Yemialyanau were on the dock. The youngsters were accused of a series of offences connected with the attacks. On February 11, in the first half of the day, public prosecutor Maksim Seniu stated that the guilt of both defendants had been fully proved, and requested 7 years of imprisonment for each, Radio Svaboda reports.

“The goal of the persecution can be reached without imprisonment”

Lawyer Dzmitry Lepratar believes that damaging the building of the Minsk City Court, of which his client Mikita Yemialyanau is accused along with Ivan Komar, is a minor offence. According to the defender, the damage of BYN 142, caused by Yemialyanau to the court building, has already been repaid, so the offence should be qualified as minor. The lawyer considers the guilt of Yemialyanau and Komar of complicity in damaging the building of the pre-trial detention center #1 not proved, as, according to the lawyer, the remains of the device Yemialyanau allegedly used for the attack were not studied. The lawyer also believes that Yemialyanau and Komar did not know that the administrative building of the pre-trial detention center # 1 is a historical and cultural value. Besides, this value wasn’t damaged that severely: the damage is estimated at just BYN 1,48.

“For ten years I have visited this detention center as a lawyer. I knew that the Pishchalauski Castle was a historical monument, but it was impossible to find out that the administrative building, and the annexe to the castle were also historical monuments. I heard this for the first time,” lawyer Dzmitry Lepratar told the court.

“In the end, I am asking the court to assign minimum punishment to my client only under Part 1 of Article 295/3 (manufacturing of a dangerous device) of the entire accusation, and take into account that Yemialyanau is subjected to criminal responsibility for the first time. I believe that the goal of the criminal persecution of Yemialyanau can be reached without imprisonment,” lawyer Dzmitry Lepratar ended his speech in the arguments.

“I am asking for acquittal under all accusations”

Lawyer Liudmila Kazak thinks that none of the accusations against Ivan Komar were proved in court.

The lawyer declared before the court that Ivan Komar did not throw the bulbs filled with paint at the building of the Minsk City Court, and did not know what Yemialyanau would do when attacking the building of the pre-trial detention center #1, nothing else was proved.

Ivan Komar did not make the Molotov cocktail himself, and did not transport it around the city, the lawyer says. The facts that Ivan Komar purchased light bulbs, red paint and dissolvent at the request of Mikita Yemialyanau cannot be considered as preparation to a crime, as he knew nothing about Yemialyanau’s plans, lawyer Kazak said.

The lawyer doesn’t think that the fact that Komar, at the request of Mikita Yemialyanau, filmed the events near the detention center in the Valadarski Street, may be considered as proved complicity in the attack at the detention center. Ivan Komar didn’t know that the detention center building is a historical and cultural value, and thus he had no intention to damage it, lawyer Liudmila Kazak believes.

The lawyer reminded the court about the statement of her client on the psychological pressure on him right after the detention, blackmailing by the investigators, beating and threats of violence in the cell of the remand prison. Komar told about the cell-mate with tattoes, who demanded he should give “the necessary testominies”. “No one refuted these statements of my client in court,” lawyer Liudmila Kazak noted.

As for the attack at the building of the Minsk City Court, the accusation thereof against Ivan Komar should be dropped, due to the “insignificance of the offence”, according to Liudmila Kazak.

Public prosecutor Maksim Seniu refused to make remarks in response to the arguments of the lawyers.

The defendants’ last words

In his final speech, Ivan Komar said that he knows the judicial system of the country well enough to hope for an acquittal.

“The motive of the set accusation is obvious for everyone, but I am still asking the court not to send me to prison,” Ivan Komar said.

Mikita Yemialyanau was also brief in his last word.

“In the struggle for freedom, justice, and human rights, the ends justify the means,” said the young anarchist, who is accused of having thrown a Molotov cocktail into the Valadarski Street detention center, and the attack at the Minsk City Court building. The defendant expressed disagreement with the request of the prosecutor to imprison him, but did not ask anything directly from the court.

The sentence to anarchists Yemialyanau and Komar will be pronounced on February 12.