Newsroom
Belarusian court decision appears politically motivated
MINSK 24 October 2000
MINSK, 24 October 2000 - The OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group expresses its concern that a recent court decision appears politically motivated and represents another attempt to silence the opposition movement in Belarus.
The Frunzenski District Court in Minsk, presided over by Justice Inna Ugnivuienko, found Mrs. Julia Chigir - wife of the former Prime Minister, Mikhail Chigir - guilty of obstructing the work of police under art. 1871, part 2 of the criminal code and sentenced her to a two year prison term, suspended for one year.
The case turned on events that took place on 19 May 2000 at the Minsk City Courthouse where Mrs. Chigir was accused of biting a policeman's ear. Mrs. Chigir's advocates argued that she had acted in self-defence when a policeman grabbed her by the arms and rough handled her. The defence submitted photographs of Mrs. Chigir's subsequent bruising and a videotape of the events as evidence.
The court decided against Mrs. Chigir and found that she was guilty of such obstruction through her request to police to allow observers into the courtroom. By the court's decision, this constituted an action which necessitated the policeman's reaction of grabbing Mrs. Chigir and which consequently nullified Mrs. Chigir's claim of self defence.
Such a decision in the case effectively bars Mrs. Chigir from any political activity that could be construed as unlawful for the coming year. If Mrs. Chigir is accused of any administrative or criminal crime in that time period, the two year sentence comes into full effect. Further, the decision of the court contradicts the eyewitness accounts of a number of domestic and international observers present on that day.
For further information, please contact Andrew Carpenter, Political Counsellor, OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus, Prospekt Gasety Pravda 11, 220116 Minsk, Belarus.tel.: + 375 17 272 34 97 fax: + 375 17 272 34 98 e-mail: [email protected]
The Frunzenski District Court in Minsk, presided over by Justice Inna Ugnivuienko, found Mrs. Julia Chigir - wife of the former Prime Minister, Mikhail Chigir - guilty of obstructing the work of police under art. 1871, part 2 of the criminal code and sentenced her to a two year prison term, suspended for one year.
The case turned on events that took place on 19 May 2000 at the Minsk City Courthouse where Mrs. Chigir was accused of biting a policeman's ear. Mrs. Chigir's advocates argued that she had acted in self-defence when a policeman grabbed her by the arms and rough handled her. The defence submitted photographs of Mrs. Chigir's subsequent bruising and a videotape of the events as evidence.
The court decided against Mrs. Chigir and found that she was guilty of such obstruction through her request to police to allow observers into the courtroom. By the court's decision, this constituted an action which necessitated the policeman's reaction of grabbing Mrs. Chigir and which consequently nullified Mrs. Chigir's claim of self defence.
Such a decision in the case effectively bars Mrs. Chigir from any political activity that could be construed as unlawful for the coming year. If Mrs. Chigir is accused of any administrative or criminal crime in that time period, the two year sentence comes into full effect. Further, the decision of the court contradicts the eyewitness accounts of a number of domestic and international observers present on that day.
For further information, please contact Andrew Carpenter, Political Counsellor, OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus, Prospekt Gasety Pravda 11, 220116 Minsk, Belarus.tel.: + 375 17 272 34 97 fax: + 375 17 272 34 98 e-mail: [email protected]