Amnesty International: We Are Calling To Drop All Charges Against Dzmitry Paliyenka
- 18.12.2018, 14:04
The activist can be repeatedly recognized as a prisoner of conscience.
Amnesty International is calling on the Belarusian authorities to immediately cease their campaign of harassment against Dzmitry Paliyenka.
“Should Dzmitry incur any sanction at any point, his status as prisoner of conscience will be reinstated immediately,” says Aisha Jung, Senior Campaigner on Belarus at Amnesty International. “We are calling on the Belarusian authorities to immediately drop all charges against former Prisoner of Conscience, Dzmitry Paliyenka, and cease their campaign of harassment against him,” said in the statement of the international human rights organization Amnesty International.
Since his release from prison on 24 October, Dzmitry has been required to go to his local police station every day to attend ‘lectures’ regarding employment. Recently he has refused to do so. As a result, he has been charged under Article 23.4 of the Administrative Code (disobeying the lawful demand of a police officer) and risks being fined or sentenced to 25 days’ detention. Today, the court hearing was postponed for a second time. Last week it was postponed after the casefile was sent back to the police station to be reviewed. Today, Dzmitry received a summons to the police station tomorrow morning to review the case again.
Dzmitry Paliyenka told Amnesty that the lectures were not part of the conditions of his release. He insists he should be free to find and chose his own work and that the actions of the police constitute harassment.
“What we’re seeing is a continuing campaign of harassment, this time lead by the local police chief. This must stop,” said Aisha Jung, Senior Campaigner on Belarus at Amnesty International.
“Dzmitry served his full sentence and must now be allowed to live his life and enjoy fully his rights and freedoms. Should Dzmitry incur any sanction at any point, his status as prisoner of conscience will be reinstated immediately. There are no legal grounds for the charges brought against him.”
In August 2017, Amnesty International has already recognized Dzmitry Paliyenka as a prisoner of conscience. Employees of the Babruisk colony, in which Dzmitry spent a year and a half, according to human rights activists, deliberately created difficult conditions for the activist. According to the policemen, the former prisoner of conscience Polienko, who was released in October, is obliged to go to the police department of the Zavodzki district and attend the “lectures on employment” every day (except weekends and Mondays).
Dzmitry Paliyenka filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office about the questionable, from a legal point of view, requirement to attend “lectures”. Without waiting for the decision of the prosecutor's office, judge Anastasia Asipchyk fined him for BYN 980 rubles. The next trial is scheduled for tomorrow, December 19. Dzmitry Paliyenka faces a new fine or administrative arrest.