Investigation of cases of political prisoners Autukhovich and Asipenka extended for one more month

• 8.10.2009, 13:12

Entrepreneurs from Vaukavysk have spent in the remand prison number 1 of Minsk 8 months.

A human rights activist Aleh Vouchak has said to BelaPAN that investigation of the criminal case of Mikalai Autukhovich and Uladzimir Asipenka has been prolonged for one more months.

As said by him, this information was confirmed by Autukhovich’s lawyer Paval Sapelka. “He reminded that according to the Belarusian laws, a lawyer is not informed about extending the case, only his client is”.

As the human rights activist believes, extension of the investigation activities shows that there are no serious proofs of Autukhovich and Asipenka’s culpability. He reminded that criminal case against four other persons involved in the case as suspects (Makuts, Navumovich, Paremskaya and Ulanau) has been closed. “They have received documents about that,” Vouchak said.

Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained in Vaukavysk on February 8, 2009 and charged for participation in events which took place in 2005. On February 18, the entrepreneurs, dwellers of Vaukavysk, Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka, were charged by the Preliminary Investigation department of Hrodna Interior Affairs directorate under article 218 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (intentional damage to or destruction of property of citizens). On June 23 a case was initiated against Autukhovich and other persons.

Lyavonau was released from Minsk remand prison on August 8. On September 24 he was cleared from al charged. Autukhovich and Asipenka are still kept in the remand prison Number 1 in Minsk.

Human rights activists consider them political prisoners, turning attention to the fact that Autukhovich and Lyavonau were convicted before and recognized prisoners of conscience by the international community.