Case of Belarus-born authors of Russian chauvinistic websites taken to Minsk court


The Investigative Committee of Belarus has completed a probe into the case of three Belarusian-born authors accused of inciting hatred.

“The investigation has been completed, the criminal case has been referred to the public prosecutor to be taken to court. If I’m not mistaken, on October 17 the prosecutor sent it to Minsk city court,” the chairman of the Investigative Committee Ivan Naskevich told journalists.

Belarusians Yury Paulavets (pennames Mikalay Radau and Pavel Yuryntsau), Dzmitry Alimkin (penname Alla Bron) and Syarhei Shyptsenka were detained in December, 2016. The Belarusian Investigative Committee initiated criminal cases under article 130 (inciting hatred) against them. Paulavets criticized the Belarusian authorities for their contribution to the ‘nationalism’ while Alimkin called Belarus a ‘mad pseudostate’. As for Shyptsenka, the ideas of the ‘artificial’ nature of Belarusian statehood and the need for ‘reunification’ with Russia run through his publications like a golden thread. The texts concerned were published on Russian websites Regnum, Lenta.ru, EADaily.

There is another defendant in the case – Yury Baranchyk, a former resident of Minsk, who was a mentor of the three men mentioned above. He used to Work in the Belarus presidential administration. Since 2007 — the head of the “Empire” information analytical portal. A few years ago, he left for Russia. He regularly writes articles for regnum.ru and slams Minsk for ‘forced Belarusization’.

“The case of Baranchyk has been severred. The Russian side has not delivered him to us. Let’s wait,” Naskevich added.

In March, Yury Baranchyk was detained in Moscow at the request of Belarusian investigators, but then released on bail. A court in Moscow did not issue a warrant for his arrest saying that the accusations were groundless.

ІІ, belsat.eu

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