CRIMINAL LAWSUIT BROUGHT AGAINST ZUBR MOVEMENT PRESS-SECRETARY :: Charter'97 :: News

Legal action was instituted against the ZUBR movement’s press-secretary Alexander Otroschenkov by the Minsk procuracy. On January 24 the law-enforcers visited his parents’ apartment. As far as Alexander doesn’t live with his parents, they simply informed them that their son is charged with violating art.368 of the Criminal Code (defaming the president of Belarus).

We turned to Alexander, asking him to personally comment on the situation:

- During the presidential campaign around 15 legal actions had been opened against our movement’s activists. After the ballot, in mid-October a few of us were summoned to the procuracy. Investigator Shrubok interrogated them as witnesses. He posed to them questions concerning the stickers. They were also told back then that on September 24 police opened legal actions for defaming the incumbent against someone.

The news that the action had been initiated against me came as real surprise. In early February I am supposed to take part in the important Amnesty International conference in Germany. The ZUBR movement has been for the very first time in its existence invited to such an event. So the idea to charge me with felony could well be caused by this fact.