Lawer About Eduard Palchys: Decent Citizen Of His Country

Eduard Palchys, known as John Silver, told about conditions in the prison and thanked everyone for their support during his talk with his lawyer.

Eduard Palchys was extradited from Russia to Belarus on June 1. He was kept in detention center № 1 in Minsk, but last week it became known that he was moved to detention center № 1 in Zhodzina. The lawyer Anna Bakhtsina visited him there on June15.

“I visited Eduard, he is fine, safe and sound. We talked, he said that the workers of the detention center treated him normally, the conditions were normal too. He said he had no claims,” – the lawyer said to Radio Svaboda.

“He asked to say "many thanks" to all the people who supported him and journalists, especially for the fact that there is support,” – Bakhtsina says.

She quotes Eduard Palchys: “I have never sought publicity, I have never wanted to become a political prisoner, and I am now willing to become one now. I just express my views and convictions regarding the danger that threatens us from Russia, my convictions regarding the infringement of the integrity, sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Belarus.”

Bakhtsina informs that Palchys didn’t recognize the incitement to national hatred during their talk.

“I think, that he is objective and we will make every effort to prove that he is right. He's a smart and charming man who worries about his country's interests. A decent citizen of his country,” – the lawyer Anna Bakhtsina describes her defendant.

The Investigation Committee reported earlier that the Minsk Department of the Investigative Committee is investigating a criminal case against a 25-year-old citizen of Hrodna region under Part 1 of Art. 130 (incitement to racial, national or religious hatred or antagonism) and Part 2 of Art. 343 (distribution of pornographic materials) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

Palchys is facing an arrest for up to 6 months for “inciting hatred,” or restriction or deprivation of liberty for a term up to 5 years. For the “pornography” – deprivation of liberty for a term of two to four years.

“It is established that the defendant, being the www.1863x.com site administrator, posted materials, containing signs of inciting ethnic hatred or enmity, as well as images of pornographic content. This is confirmed by the results of the examinations,” – the Investigative Committee reports.

Earlier, the human rights center Viasna made a statement with the demand to guarantee detained Eduard Palchys the right to protection and to allow his lawyer to the Zhodzina jail.

On June 9, a picket of solidarity with Eduard Palchys was held in front of the Minsk remand prison №1.

The www.1863x.com site was created about two years ago. It published political texts, often criticizing Belarus and the Russian authorities. The resource creator administered it under complete anonymity. The only means of communication with the editor were the Internet, by using it he communicated with the authors and gave interviews.

In November 2015 John Silver wrote: “Exactly six months ago, on 5 May, 2015, I was detained by special services, spent a month in the “loony bin,” two criminal cases were initiated against me, and in the beginning of October 2015 I had to leave Belarus.” We know that more recently he has lived in Ukraine. Since then, the site has not been updated.

Eduard Palchys’s arrest was reported in Russia in January 2016, however, his real name was not known at that time, he was reported to be the founder of the popular anti-Russian 1863h.com site.

Later the chauvinistic Russian edition Sputnik & Pogrom reported that the founder of the site 1863h.com “John Silver” – Eduard Palchys, according to the passport – was arrested in Bryansk region on January 23, while crossing the Russian-Ukrainian border.