Prosecutor General urged to release Andrei Kim

• 26.02.2008, 10:33

On February 25 Brest human rights activist Raman Kislyak and regional activists of the democratic forces sent a letter to the Prosecutor General Ryhor Vasilevich with a demand to release an opposition activist Andrei Kim.

As the BelaPAN was told by human rights activist, according to his knowledge from January 31 till February 25 A. Kim wasn’t taken to the judge for consideration of the question of his keeping in custody, which is envisaged by Article 9 part 3 of the International covenant on civil and political rights.

“We believe that this fact is a violation of the right for freedom and personal inviolability of Kim. On these grounds he is to be released after a 10-days administrative arrest, but he hadn’t been released. On January 24 an action was brought up against him under Article 364 of the Criminal Code (violence or a threat of violence against a policeman). On January 31 an opposition activist was taken to an interrogation to the prosecutor’s office of the Tsentralny district of Minsk, and then arrested.

As said by the human rights activist, a complaint to the prosecutor’s office is a start of a campaign on preventing facts when a person is subject to arrest sanctioned by a prosecutor under authority of an order issued by an investigator or interrogating officer. As the human rights activist believes, in line with international commitments of Belarus in the sphere of human rights, the decision on arrest of a citizen must be taken by a judge.