CRIMINAL ACTION INSTITUTED AGAINST LYABEDZKA :: Charter'97 :: News

The UCP leader Lyabedzka is suspected in libeling the president (Article 367, part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). The criminal case was instigated in connection with the publication of the newspaper “Narodnaya Volya” in November 2001. In that article Lyabedzka accused the government of Belarus in delivering arms to the rogue states. The politician can be sentenced to an imprisonment from two to four years.

On July 12, right on his return from Berlin Anatol Lyabedzka was summoned to the Public Prosecutor’s office of the Soviet region, and the investigator Ivan Zelyankousky acquainted the UCP leader with the decision on institution of a criminal case against him. The investigator wanted to interrogated Lyabedzka on Friday, but the UCP leader asked for an attorney. The article under title “Bandits finance Belarussian regime?” was written by the reporter of the “Narodnaya Volya”, but Lyabedzka’s statement to a reporter of Russian internet outlet gazeta.ru was quoted.That quotation was regarded as libel on A. Lukashenka by the prosecutors.

Anatol Lyabedzka himself believes that “the authorities want to block his activities and keep him hooked”. He thinks that instigation of a acrimiinal action is a revenge for severe resolution on Belarus, passed on July 10 by the Parliamentary Assembly, which expresses the PA OSCE concern about Belarusian arms deliveries to terrorists and countries sheltering terrorists.