Henadz Fyadynich, the leader of the Independent Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry (REP), has been charged with large-scale tax evasion (Art. 243-2 of the Criminal Code), the Belarusian Investigative Committee said on Twitter.
Henadz Fyadynich is facing up to 7 years of imprisonment with confiscation. The same accusation has been brought against the trade union accountant Ihar Komlik who is now in jail.
On August 2, the Minsk and Salihorsk offices of two key opposition trade unions were raided by the Department of Financial Investigations. Computers, hard drives were seized; the law enforcers were looking for documents. According to the investigation, trade union activists regularly traveled abroad to withdraw money from accounts in foreign accounts and bring them to Belarus.
According to Henadz Fyadynich, the case initiated against is nothing but retaliation for their civic activity during spring ‘non-parasite’ protests.
- Poland’s prosecutors: No information about accused trade union activists ever given to Belarus
- Belarus officials on ‘trade unions’ case: they did not pay taxes
- International trade union leaders call on Belarusian authorities to release Ihar Komlik
