Afghan war veteran Kanstantsin Ulanau remains witness in Autukhovich’s case
- 21.07.2009, 13:08
57-year-old Kanstantsin Ulanau is a witness in the criminal case initiated against Mikalai Autukhovich. The Afghan war veteran is to come to the investigator on demand.
Kanstantsin Ulanau was detained on July 7, when the Afghan war veteran returned to Minsk for one day to receive pension money. Officially registered sporting gun was seized in Minsk flat of Ulanau, and he was placed for 10 days in the remand prison in Akrestsin Street as suspected to be involved in Mikalai Autukhovich’s case.
On July 17 in the morning Kanstantsin Ulanau was released. But the Afghan war veteran is still a witness in the criminal case, and is to come to investigator on demand.
As informed by “Belarusian partisan”, Ulanau has developed health problems. As said by his wife Tatsyana Ulanava, her husband is at home under the care of doctors.
Human rights activists believe that Kanstantsin Ulanau could have been arrested in order to testify against Mikalai Autukhovich. No investigative activists have been carried out the Vaukavysk entrepreneurs since their arrest in February 2009.
As we have informed, Mikalai Autukhovich and two activists of the entrepreneurs’ movement from Vaukavysk Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained on February 8 with the approval of the prosecutor of the Hrodna region. On February 18, the three were charged under article 218 of the Criminal Code (intentional damage to or destruction of property of citizens).
Human rights activists consider the detained to be political prisoners drawing attention to the fact that Autukhovich and Lyavonau were convicted before and found prisoners of conscience by the international community.
Mikalai Autukhovich was on three-month hunger strike in pre-trial detention facility #1 of the main militia department of the Minsk city executive committee. He demanded to send his case to court or change the measure of restraint for all persons involved in the case from custody to release on own recognizance. Mikalai Autukhovich stopped hunger strike on July 16.