Andrei Klimau Arrested :: Charter'97 :: News

The Prosecutor’s office of Minsk has accused a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th convocation, a former businessman Andrei Klimau of calls to overthrow of the state regime. Arrest has been chosen as a measure of restraint for him. Andrei Klimau has been placed to a remand prison in Valadarski Street where he is to stay before the court.

First the prosecutor’s office opened a criminal action against Andrei Klimau for libelling Alyaksandr Lukashenka. The reason for the criminal action was an article by Andrei Klimau placed at the web site of the United Civil Party “Revolution forever, or How to Skin Romany boar in Year of Pig”. In the article Andrei Klimau wrote about personal involvement of Alyaksandr Lukashenka to abductions and assassinations of Belarusian oppositionists.

It is not the first time when Andrei Klimau is charged with libelling the president of Belarus. In 2005 a criminal action for libelling the president was tried in the court of Pershamajski district of Minsk behind the closed doors. The case was returned for further revision. Then the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk sentenced Andrei Klimau to imprisonment for staging a street protest on March 25, 2005. In December 2006 he was released.

Earlier Andrei Klimau spent 4 years in prison on charges relation economic crimes. However, the politician himself believes that he had been convicted for active participation in Lukashenka’s impeachment campaign. Klimau was recognized a prisoner of conscience.