Russian human rights activists stood up for Belarusians :: Charter'97 :: News

Provocation of the State Drug Control Committee of Russia resulted in groundless criminal persecution of two Belarusian inhabitants. The activities of the Russian drug-fighters were reported by the human rights activists and lawyers of the victimized Belarusians at the press- conference on 12 July, the Sobkor®ru correspondent tells.

According to head of the Moscow Helsinki group Ludmila Alekseeva, two students from Belarus Alyaksandr Chechurau and Syargey Laguta were detained by the Federal Service of Drug Control staff members at one of the Moscow railway stations. The cough killer”Tussal” was found in their luggage. The pills are traded in the youths’ home-country but in Russia the medicine was put on the list of psychotrops last year.

It is remarkable that the delivery of the pills by the students to Moscow was ordered by the so-called “customers” from the State Drug Control Committee who had introduced themselves as the Internet pharmacy staff members and ordered those ”Tussal” pills to the Belarus inhabitants through Internet promising a good reward for the deliverers.

Now 25 years in prison are facing the youngsters. It is hard and dangerous to persecute true dug dealers and, moreover, it is possible to make agreements with them. But nevertheless someone has to be caught”, Alekseeva said. She also stressed that this might happen to anyone as psychotrops are contained in some other medicines which are sold out without prescriptions in Russian pharmacies.

Lawyer Stanislav Markelov also added that if this scheme was followed than anyone buying the Coldrex may be arrested.

Markelov also said that he had already appealed to the law enforcement bodies of Belarus for consideration of the illegally conducted special operation by the Federal Service of Drug Control on the territory of a foreign state. He also applied in written form to he General Public Prosecutor’s Office stating that Chechurau and Laguta were unlawfully charged of smuggling as there was the presidential addict canceling the custom’s border between Russia and Belarus.

The press-conference participants declared that without interference of the public the students’ case is going to have an unhappy end. The lawyer said that he would do his best to make the Belarusian authorities take part in the fate of their citizens.