Prisoner was promised early release for slander of Autukhovich

• 26.03.2010, 15:29

New testimony of persons involved in the case of Mikalai Autukhovich prove innocence of the political prisoners.

At the trial over Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka, Mikhail Kazlou and Alyaksandar Laryn on March 26 in the Supreme Court of Minsk a person was interrogated who set on fire the house of Katsuba, a policeman. As informed by Radio Svaboda, Yury Artsyukevich was found guilty also of an arson of a garage and a car of a tax police officer Mandzik.

Artsyukevich is serving a sentence in a colony. The witness was taken to the trial in the Supreme Court handcuffed, like Alyaksandr Kozel, who was interroagted on March 25. Tpday Yury Artsyukevich repeated the same things he said during the trial over him: that he set on fire the house of policeman Katsuba together with Kozel, he hadn't been given an order by someone, and hadn't been given money.

As said by Artsyukevich, in this way he was taking revenge on the police officer for his personal problems. As said by him, policemen had been finding faults with him for no reason, prevented him from starting a new life after his release from prison, forced to collaboration. As for the arson of hte garame and the car of Mandzik, Artsyukevich stated that it happened unintentionally: he climbed into the garage to steal wheels, but spilled fuel by accident, and as a result a fire started.

"During investigation a moral coercion was exerted on me, for me to say that it was Autukhovich who had ordered the arsons, but he has nothing to do with that. Later, while I was serving the sentence, I was interrogated in this case and again abeted to accuse Autukhovich. They promised the moon: to transfer me in any colony, even early release," Yury Arstyukevich said to the court.

We remind that on March 25 a witness Alyaksandr Kozel who is serving a sentence for setting the house of Katzuba on fire, stated in the court that evidence against Autukhovich was literally knocked out from him.