William Bourdon: Responsible for torture must be arrested

French lawyer William Bourdon who had filed a suit for arrest of Anatoly Kulyashou (Kuleshov), has given an interview to Belarusian journalists.

“A British legal consulting firm had asked my cooperation in this case, in connection with the Interior Minister’s presence in Lyon,” William Bourdon said to Radio Svaboda.

“The United Nations Convention against Torture, adopted on December 10, 1984, the so-called New York convention, obliges the states which had ratified it, including France, to arrest persons suspected in torture, when they stay at hair territory. It is exactly the situation of the minister,” the lawyer said.

Mr. Bourdon explained that British lawyers got in touch with him on Wednesday afternoon.

“The suit was filed on Thursday at 10.30 a.m. It was difficult to make it quicker. The files of the case are at Paris court since Thursday morning. I do not have information that Paris court had ordered to detain the minister and question him.”

As for validity of the suit sent to the court, the lawyer says the following: “The case is well documented, very accurate, with absolutely persuasive evidence. It leaves no doubt that the Interior Minister is the main person responsible for organizing torture against opponents in Belarus.”

Speaking about the prospects of Minister Kulyashou’s legal prosecution, William Bourdon noted:

“Struggle with impunity is a great problem for the international community. The Justice becomes global. Some countries do not obey it, so access to the French judicial system, considering that France had recognized the New York Convention, gives victims a means to get access to justice, and a hope that persons responsible for crimes would be brought to justice. It requires political will. Technical means should be used for capturing these suspects. I deeply regret about hesitation of Paris Court, which does not react in a speed required by the situation.”

McCue and Partners, a British firm, represents interests of victims of repressions carrying out by the Belarusian regime, their families and Free Belarus Now civil initiative.

William Bourdon (born in 1956) is a French lawyer, an expert in criminal law, specializing on defence of victims of globalization and crimes against humanity.

He characterizes himself as “a human rights defender.” In 1995-2000 he was Secretary General of the International Federation of Human Rights. He defended Chinese dissenters, victims of genocide in Rwanda, activists of the social struggle, left-wing radical movements, Guantanamo Bay prisoners; he participated in the case against Pinochet.