Haidukou's case falling apart

The investigation into the case against an activist from Navapolatsk has been extended until March 8.

Charter97.org has learnt it from Volha Haidukova, the mother of political prisoner Andrei Haidukou.

“A lawyer has met with Andrei today, but he doesn't say anything new due to confidentiality of investigation. The investigation was extended until March 8. I hope we will have other details regarding the case, but everything is kept in secrecy so far. I am sure that the accusation of spying is absolutely absurd,” the political prisoner's mother says.

The woman stressed that the investigation has been lasting for the fifth month, but she has not seen her son.

“I applied for meetings several times, but they always denied visits. My son's friend, Yauheny Kastantinau, who is a witness in the case, also insisted on visiting Andrei, but he was denied. We are lucky that he receives letters and parcels, though for the first three weeks we had no information at all,” Volha Haidukova says.

Andrei Haidukou was detained in Vitebsk on November 8. The 23-year-old worker of Navapolatsk-based Naftan plant is charged with “spying”. According to official information, he was detained as he “was installing a dead drop with information interesting for foreign secret services”.

Many find the accusation absurd. European Belarus civil campaign released a statement saying that the activist was detained for distributing Charter'97 newspaper. Human rights activists link the prosecution of Haidukou to his pro-opposition views and explain it with attempts of the authorities to scare young activists.