Court refuses to punish officials for physical abuse

Baranavichy court dismissed the case against officials for physical abuse.

Dzmitry Varvashenia, the Deputy Chief of Ideology, Culture and Youth Affairs of Baranavichy District Executive Committee, managed to escape penalty for the physical abuse against Ivan Aphanasik, Malaia Svaratva village, Baranavichy district. Viasna Human Rights Center reports that Viktar Savas, the head of kolkhoz "Zarechynski" and the second offender of Aphanasik, was not only brought to justice but even did not appear in court.

All those present in Baranavichy district and Baranavichy court were able to make sure of irresponsibility of local officials, while considering an administrative case of Dzmitry Varvashenia under Art. 23:39 AC (arrogation). The judge Yuliana Shcherbo considered the case and after 10 minutes had it terminated due to the expiry of the term of the limitation of action.

-Police drew up another protocol on D. Varvashenia for arrogation and physical abuse on November 12, 2014. More than 2 months police officers and judges pretended to study the case, and in fact they played for time to say me in court 2 months later that the term of the limitation of action has been expired, Ivan Aphanasik said.

It should be recalled that on November 12, 2014 the representative of the Baranavichy District Executive Committee Dzmitry Varvashenia and Viktar Savas, the head of kolkhoz, using physical force threw out Ivan Aphanasik of the local House of Culture in his fellow villagers' eyes. He was the one who tried to intercede for Lyudzmila Haleva, the director of the House of Culture, who was fired.

If the representative of opposition is drawn up protocol on, then he is judged immediately and punished by a huge fine. But today we have seen that our officials can break the law, and police and courts cover them up, the activist Viktar Syrytsa said.

Ivan Aphanasik strongly disagrees with this decision and intends to lay his complaint before higher institutions.