non-registered candidate in presidents of Belarus Victor Babariko brought new charges. The General Prosecutor’s office reclassified the bribery to receive it. In this article, he could face up to 15 years of imprisonment. Lawyer and former banker Dmitry Laevsky noted that the defense may not comment on the circumstances due to the gag order. That is known now about the case of Babariko, “MK” told the Deputy Chairman of the human rights center “Spring” Valentin Stefanovich.
investigators believe that Babariko, being the head of Belgazprombank, he received an award from representatives of commercial structures a total of more than 28 million rubles. Also, the ex-banker is accused of tax evasion and money laundering obtained by criminal means. As stated by the lawyer Dmitry Laevsky Babariko edition TUT.BY he’s not allowed to comment on those circumstances because of the gag order. However, he believes that the Prosecutor’s office need to publish the complaint of defenders, filed July 23, on the termination of criminal prosecution. “Perhaps, then, the question of the necessity of review is exhausted”, – said Dmitry Laevsky
Earlier on the TV channel “Belarus 1” was a plot in which Alexander Lukashenko was convinced that the matter BGB – “a political order” and all defendants in the case already began to “testify”. “And this (babarika – approx. edition) already began to cry. When not registered, cried, and began to testify,” added the Belarusian President. Later, the lawyers of Babariko denied this information. According to them, he sent to the BTRC requirement to deny the information.
About the case of Babariko “MK” said Valiantsin Stefanovich.
– the Position of Babariko not changed, the guilt he does not recognize. And the fact that perekvalificirovat article, we evaluation the role of this criminal case is not important. Our position is he’s innocent, this is a politically criminal prosecution connected with participation in elections. Now he is under pressure because of intensified work of his staff. As you know, they coalesced around Svetlana Tikhanovski”.
it is Worth saying that the work of staff causes quite a stir. For example, yesterday in Vitebsk, journalists, came to about 8 thousand people, which is comparable to the number of people who came to the meeting with Tikhanovski in Minsk. People began to take to the streets and, of course, re-qualification article may be used as an additional lever of pressure.
– What methods of pressure are applied to Tikhanovski and Babariko?
– as for Babariko, then as far as I know, lawyers Dating him. But there is pressure on the lawyers themselves. The leadership of the bar Association considered their comments, which are absolutely not outand beyond professional activities as a violation of rules of ethics. For this reason there were several lengthy statements that human rights defenders must not demonstrate their political preferences and to draw broad conclusions about the system. They urge lawyers not to be equal to those colleagues who clearly do not see their future in the profession. Something that was veiled.
All would be nothing if we had no experience, when lawyers were disbarred, expelled from the Collegium of advocates was expelled from the profession because of their principled position on the protection of defendants in politically motivated cases. So it was in 2010 and 2017. Last time managed to defend, but how can it end this time – no one knows. We do not exclude that in the worst scenario, lawyers can be disbarred and leave Babariko without protection. That is, of course, he will have a lawyer, but he will be more cautious and will not give statements regarding the status of his client and the conditions of his detention in the cell.
Tikhanovski pressure is constant. It is placed in a punishment cell on far-fetched reasons that the alleged dust is not removed, not shaved, and the like. Plus committed all sorts of provocations, rumours of his alleged “low social status”. All these are favourite methods of coercion used by our authorities against political prisoners and not only. In a sense, we can say that tikhanovski and Babariko hostage and I must pay tribute to Tatyana Tikhanovski, who found the courage to continue the struggle in fact for her husband, because she was not going to be a presidential candidate. Now it has become a symbol of resistance. And in a sense she is pleased with the high support. We fear that if this will result in peaceful protests, Lukashenka uses of the army. Such threats with his hand already there.
Could it be that the security forces will side with citizens?
– the System looks pretty monolithic. Very unlikely. Although, of course, history knows many examples, and the system develops in a moment like a house of cards, but so far I can not imagine this.
