Political Amendments to Criminal Code Now Applied in Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

“A practice of executing Articles of the Criminal Code which were added last year and worked out by the KGB, has started in Belarus,” the human rights center “Viasna” informs, commenting on the detentions of public activists Tsimafej Dranchuk, Mikalay Astrejka and Alyaksei Shalajka. As we have informed, Dranchuk’s relatives were told that they he was detained for three days as a suspect for performing actions under Article 193 Part 2 of the Criminal Code (organizing or leading a religious association or a political party, that entrench the rights or obligations of citizens, or leading an unregistered organization).

This article envisages up to 6 months of arrest or imprisonment for up to 3 years, and allows to keep the detainee in custody.

It is possible that the detained organizers of independent observation in presidential elections Mikalay Astrejka and activist Alyaksei Shalajka are also placed to the KGB isolator, and they can also be presented charges for violation of the new articles of the Criminal Code.

“These arrests could be a confirmation of the words of the KGB chairman Sukharenka said during passing amendments to the Criminal Code, when he said that these changes in the code have been specially made for certain persons,” human rights activists say.