BPF Press-Release 29 Mar 2001 19:30

Today (29 March, 2001) the Central District Court in Minsk heard the case against Vincuk Viacorka, leader of the BPF. Mr Viacorka was charged with organising an unapproved assembly on Freedom Day, 25 March.

The court proceedings against him opened on 26 March, but were deferred, first to 28 March and then to 29 March, since Mr. Viacorka demanded the services of a lawyer and a translator. Today, the judge did not have time to deal with the case in the forenoon, hence the proceedings in the Central District court were deferred until 16.00.

However, at 16.00, the hearing still did start; it got under way only at 17.15. In accordance with the rules of legal procedure, judge Vajciachovic, who was hearing the case, should first have given a ruling concerning the appeals which had already been lodged: these were appeals to postpone the case on the grounds that a complaint had been filed with the court of the Maskouski District of Minsk against the related actions of the Minsk city executive, and an appeal to subpoena as witnesses Mr. Salaniec, the Deputy Head of the Minsk City Department of Internal Affairs, and Mr. Piatrusyn, Deputy Head of the Minsk City Executive.

The judge immediately dismissed these appeals, ruling that they had no bearing on the case, and in a blatant breach of the law immediately began to pronounce the sentence of the court, namely that Viacorka was sentenced to 15 days. She then immediately left the court, ignoring the signals of advocate Siarhiej Curko that this was a breach of legal procedure.

Under the supervision of Barsukou, the Head of the District Department of Internal Affairs, Viacorka was transferred to the Akrescina St holding-and-dispatch jail.

Uladzimier Labkovic, a representative of the Juridical Committee of the BPF was present in the court. He stated afterwards that "The judge was in blatant breach of the law in that she did not permit the advocate to speak, thus depriving Viacorka of the right to legal assistance, to the services of a lawyer. The advocate's role was thus reduced to that of a walker-on. She [the judge] thus demonstrated both her incompetence and her blatant contempt for the law".

"This is enormity, Viacorka said, before being conveyed to Akrescina, it was a gross breach of procedure, a gross breach of my rights and the rights of my advocate. All the interruptions and delays during the process are evidence that the judge was receiving direct instructions from the current political leadership of Belarus."

The BPF "Adradzennie" and the BPF Party consider these steps by the regime as a panic reaction and a proof of its utter uncertainty about the future, which is becoming ever more obvious as the presidential elections approach.

Press Group of the BPF "Adradzennie" and the BPF Party