Syarhei Skrabets Remains in Prison :: Charter'97 :: News

The measure of restraint for political prisoner Syarhei Skrabets remains the same – imprisonment. This decision was delivered by the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk. The lawyer of Syarhei Skrabets was not present at the trial. Relatives and journalists were not allowed to attend the sitting of the court. The verdict was passed by Judge Alena Illina (Elena Ilyina) in presence of one prosecutor only. The reason for such decision is still unknown.

Mikhail Khomich, the lawyer of Syarhei Skrabets, applied to change the measure of restraint for his client as he needs medical rehabilitation after a hunger strike in Brest remand prison which lasted for more than 40 days.

On May 15, 2005 Syarhei Skrabets was detained and 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. According to the Prosecutor’s office, in February and March this year S.Skrabets allegedly incited a 50-year-old unemployed dweller of the town of Byaroza (Brest region) to give a bribe of USD 30,000 to officials of the Prosecutors’ office of the region and of the regional court for an acquitting judgement to a 21-year-old unemployed dweller of the village of Alshany, Pinsk district, who had been sentenced for 24 years of imprisonment for banditry and other grave crimes. After arrest Skrabetys was transferred from Minsk to Brest remand prison.

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.