Klimau Threatened with 2-5 Years in Prison :: Charter'97 :: News

3 April morning policymaker Andrey Klimau was arrested in Minsk. The militiamen brought him to the public prosecutor’s office in Minsk. He is charged of the crime stipulated by Clause 361 of the criminal code of Belarus (call for armed overthrow of the state system). It is still unclear what part of the Clause 361 Andrey Klimau is charged of breaching.

The criminal case was brought for Andrey Klimau’s publication under the title “Revolution forever or How to slice the Gipsy hog in the year of swine" located at the Internet site of the United Civil Party. Andrey Klimau writes in the article about Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s involvement in kidnapping and killing of the leaders of the Belarusian opposition. However, the Internet site is not a mass medium. The authorities have been trying for a long time to equate sites with mass media but until now it has not been legalized.

Statements of Clause 361are given underneath:

Clause 361 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus Calls for actions causing damage to the external security of the Republic of Belarus, to its sovereignty, territorial inviolability, national security and defensiveness.

1. Public calls for seizure of the state power, forced changing of the constitutional system of the Republic of Belarus or for state treason or for terrorist actions or diversion or for conducting other actions causing damage to the external security of the Republic of Belarus, to its sovereignty, territorial inviolability, national security and defensiveness or distribution of materials containing such calls are penalized by arrest for the term of six months or by the term until 3 years in prison.

2. Calls to the foreign state, foreign or international organization for committing actions causing damage to the external security of the Republic of Belarus, to its sovereignty, territorial inviolability, national security and defensiveness or distribution of materials containing such calls are punished by arrest for the term of six months of by until 3 years in prison.

3. Actions stipulated by parts 1 and 2 of this clause with employment of mass media are penalized by 2-5 years in prison.