Human rights defenders recognize Alinevich, Dziadok and Frankevich political prisoners

Oct. 6, 2011 avtonom.org

Human Rights Center "Viasna" and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee recognized Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok and Aliaksandr Frantskevich as political prisoners of the present regime. The human rights defenders came to this conclusion on the basis of analysis of the so-called “Case of Anarchists”.

According to the conclusion of the BHC, this decision is based on the following findings:

1. Preliminary investigation of the criminal case was accompanied by serious procedural irregularities, including violations of the rights of convicts. They include: arbitrary detention, violation of the terms and procedures of detention established by the Criminal Procedure Code of Belarus, the violation of the right to protection, a violation of the presumption of innocence, and others. I. Alinevich was detained in Moscow, and his transportation to the KGB jail in Minsk was carried out with gross violations of established procedures, including procedures for the extradition of citizens from the territory of the Russian Federation to Belarus. During the trial, convicted I. Alinevich, M. Dziadok and A.Frantskevich Olinevicha I., M. Dedok, A. Frantskevich repeatedly stated about illegal actions against them during the investigation, including psychological pressurization and tortures.

During the trial, said that against them during preliminary investigation used illegal actions: the psychological pressure and torture. On the application of torture to have a trial and a number of witnesses who retracted their statements made by them during the preliminary investigation (K. forging, A. Zhingerovsky, I. Bogachek, Bugaev, S. Slusar). These circumstances during the preliminary investigation and court proceedings with adequate completeness have not been verified and they were not given a legal assessment. The use of tortures was also confirmed by a number of witnesses who refused from the testimonies given during the preliminary investigation (I. Bahachak, A. Buhayou, K. Kouka, S. Sliusar and A. Zhynherouski). These circumstances weren’t subject to a due check-up and evaluation during the investigation and the court proceedings

2. During the trial, the principle of equality of the parties to submit evidence was violated. Gross violations of prisoners' rights give reason to believe that the trial was not an objective, comprehensive and inclusive, and the verdict was unjustified and illegal. Imposed under these circumstances the sentence should be reversed and the case – intended for a new trial.

3. Detention of I. Alinevich, M. Dziadok and A. Frantskevich and their punishment with such long, clearly inadequate prison terms, is obvious way related to the political motives of the authorities.

4. According to these findings, the national public association "Belarusian Helsinki Committee" and experts of the Belarusian human rights community consider Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok and Aliaksandr Frantskevich political prisoners of the current regime in Belarus.

source: http://spring96.org/en/news/46165