Vital Rymasheuski: Half of country can be jailed for “espionage”

Not only all opposition members but also everyone who has ever visited a foreign embassy can be convicted under the article that was applied to Haidukou.

Vital Rymasheuski, the co-chairman of the organising committee to found the Belarusian Christian Democracy party (BCD), spoke to charter97.org about a 1.5-year sentence to activist Andrei Haidukou.

“I am sure that Haidukou's case was a test, a sort of preparation for other political trials under this article. They chose a little-known activist who wanted to found his own organisation. The fact that the authorities back-pedalled shows that the efforts by democratic forces and human rights activists were successful. The sentence of 1.5 years in a penal colony was pronounced amid a pretended thaw in relations with the West,” the politician thinks.

He added that it didn't change the political motivation, because not only opposition activists but a half of Belarusian citizens who go abroad, receive visas and talk to diplomats and officers of visa departments can be jailed.

“In any case, we must struggle for a non-guilty verdict and cancelling of this discriminatory article. The fact that the charge was changed confirms again that there were no grounds to convict the young man. Otherwise they didn't hide anything at the closed trial. This verdict confirms the unchanging and consistent policy of the Lukashenka regime aimed at tightening repression and the elimination of democratic forces. Any opinions that Haidukou received not 7 but only 1.5 years due to the 'dialogue' would be immoral,” Vital Rymasheuski said.

Opposition activist Andrei Haidukou was found guilty of an attempt to establish contacts with foreign intelligence and sentenced to 1.5 years in a penal colony. The sentence was pronounced today by the Vitebsk regional court.