Belarusian human rights organisations have recognised Andrey Novikau, volunteer of Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s initiative group, as another political prisoner in the so-called Tsikhanouski case, spring96.org reports.
On June 12, he faced official charges of ‘violating public order’ during an election picket on May, 29 in Hrodna.
Russian citizen Andrey Novikau has been living in Belarus for many years; he is married with two children. The man was arrested in the village of Prusy (Pastavy district) on June, 6; his home was searched by the police.
The human rights defenders call on the Belarusian authorities to immediately release the activist and drop the criminal charge brought against him.
In May, Syarhei Tsikhanouski, the author of Youtube channel Страна Для Жизни ( A Country for Life), revealed his presidential ambitions while serving a 15-day jail term for participating in unauthorised mass events.
However, the Belarusian Central Election Commission refused to register his initiative group. According to them, only a person who intends to campaign for the presidency must sign the documents.As Syarhei Tsikhanouski was in custody at that moment, all the necessary documents were signed and filed by his wife. On the back of the situation, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya managed to get her initiative group registered instead.
On May 29, the police arrested Syarhei Tsikhanouski, head of his wife’s nomination group, and at least 15 persons during a peaceful picket in Hrodna. It should be noted that one of the women (Alena K.) who showed up at the picket attempted to stir up a conflict with Tsikhanouski, which resulted in pushing and jostling. According to the official version, one policeman fell down and had to be taken to hospital. On May 30, the Interior Ministry initiated criminal investigation into an alleged act of violence against two police officers.
The police searched the homes of the most of the detainees; some were transferred to Minsk remand prison #1.
On June 9, the Belarusian Investigative Committee stated that Syarhei Tsikhanouski and seven other persons were charged under Art. 342-1 (planning actions that grossly violate public order) of the Criminal Code of Belarus. The above article may carry a punishment of up to 3 years in prison.
On the same day, a number of human rights watchdogs urged the Belarusian authorities to immediately release Syarhei Tsikhanouski, Yauhen Raznichenka, Dzmitry Furmanau, Vyarhily Ushak, Alyaksandr Aranovich, Vasil Babrouski, Artem Sakau, and Uladzimir Navumik and stated that the persecution was politically motivated. All of them were declared political prisoners. At the same time, Belarusian human rights organisations cannot name two more detainees (Uladzimir Kniha and Yauhen Raznichenka) as prisoners of consience as they are accused of using force against the police.
According to human rights defenders, the detainees did not violate the order of collecting signatures in support of the presidential candidates during the picket on May 29 in Hrodna, and the picket itself complied both with legal requirements and the standards of peaceful assembly.
