Prosecutor’s Office Warns Well-Known Human Rights Watchdog Ludmila Hraznova :: Charter'97 :: News

A well-known human rights watchdog, a deputy chairman of the United Civil party Ludmila Hraznova has been summoned to the prosecutor’s office of Savetsky district of Minsk. Alyaksandr Agafonau, an investigator, asked the human rights watchdog to provide explanations concerning her statement published on the site Charter’97.

The prosecutor’s office was interested by the following words of Ludmila Hraznova (Gryaznova):

“Flagrant rigging of the elections’ results, mass arrests of citizens, unashamed lies on Belarusian TV have made people take to the streets today, despite of the threats and fear which seized the souls of many people. Today’s detentions and brutal beating up of people would not be left unpunished. People are indignant at using force against peaceful demonstrators. There are lots of passionate discussions in many families, and previously apolitical citizens have become defenders of their families and loved ones. I would like to underline that if Putin is going to stand behind Lukashenka’s back as before, he must incur responsibility and be expelled from G-8,” Ludmila Hraznova said to the Charter’97 press center on March 25 after the brutal dispersal of a peaceful demonstration.

Ludmila Hraznova was warned about criminal liability for a patently false statement, or denunciation under Article 400 of the Criminal Code of Belarus.

“Maybe these words seem a fraudulent representation, but not to those dozens of thousands of citizens who took to the streets of Minsk on March 19 and 25, protesting against flagrant falsifications of elections, mass arrests and beating up, use of force against peaceful demonstrators,” the Belarusian human rights activist said to the UCP press service.