On Friday morning, ex-political prisoner Dzmitry Paliyenka was taken from home by men in civvies, activist Maryna Kasinerava said on Facebook. He is now in Zavadzki district police department.
In early Dececmber, the police interrogated Paliyenka and drew up a protocol for… missing lectures.
“These are lectures on employment. They are held every day, except Saturdays and Sundays. Dzmitry has to attend them until he ‘finds a job’. Job interviews, personal affairs, illness are not considered as excuses for nonappearance. Indeed, there is common practice to hold such lectures, only during 10 days. However, the number of lectures Dzmitry should attend is unlimited. He is now appealing against it, but as you see, it has been no effect so far,” the activist’s friend Maryna Nasenka told Belsat.
He will have to appear before court on December, 19. Thus, he will be tried twice.
On November 26, the police detained Paliyenka, who had stopped attending lectures assigned to him after his release from the Babruysk colony. After a conversation with a police officer, Paliyenka was taken to the City Police Department No. 2, where he had two protocols drawn on him. As a result, on December 6, Paliyenka will be tried under article 23.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (“Failure to comply with the legal requirement of an official”). He may face an administrative arrest or heavy fines.
In October 2016, Paliyenka was given a suspended sentence of 2 years for allegedly attacking a policeman during the bicycle campaign “Critical Mass”, which took place in Minsk. In addition, the activist was charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 343 of the Criminal Code (production and distribution of pornographic materials or items of a pornographic nature).
Last year, Paliyenka was arrested again: on April 7, 2017, the court overturned the deferment and sent the activist to serve the remainder of his term in a prison in Babruisk. There he was regularly placed in a punishment cell, the administration also pressured the activist psychologically.
The international human rights organization Amnesty International recognized Paliyenka a prisoner of conscience.
belsat.eu
