In Hunger Strike Syarhei Skrabets Lost 25 Kilograms of Weight :: Charter'97 :: News

Belarusian opposition activist, former deputy and leader of the parliamentary group “Respublika” Syarhei Skrabets, placed to Brest remand prison, continues hunger strike for 39th day. According to information of political prisoner’s wife Alyaksandra, since yesterday the politician started to drink juice a little. However, it is known that he is not going to take food. Skrabets started to drink juice because he expects a long journey to Minsk remand prison in connection with transfer of his case to Republican Prosecutor’s Office. The political prisoner, who according to information of the lawyer, has lost about 25 kilograms, has become very weak and fears not be able to live through the transfer, which could last for several days, as practice shows.

The opposition activist, who headed parliamentary group “Respublika”, Syarhei Skrabets, was detained on May 15, 2005. He was charged with violation of the two articles of the Criminal Code (Article 13 Part 1 – preparation for a crime, and Article 431 Part 2 – giving bribe). S.Skrabets allegedly wanted to give a bribe of USD 30,000 to officials of the Prosecutors’ office.

It is not the first criminal action against the oppositionist.In April, 2003, first criminal proceedings were initiated against MP Skrabets. He was charged with helping defraud Belarusbank of more than $500,000 million in loans, while serving as director general of the BelBabayevsky Trading House, and creation of a criminal group. In October, 2004, he petitioned Russian President Vladimir Putin to grant him political asylum, however his petition was refused.

The observers note that the criminal prosecution of Skrabets in politically motivated, as he is one of the active oppositionists. In summer 2004 he took part in the hunger strike of the “Respublika” deputies, who demanded democratization of the Electoral Code, and release of one of the Belarusian opposition leaders, Mikhail Marynich. In 2004 he was one of the organizers of the protest action timed to the end of the 10-year term of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.