30 October 2007
Head of human rights federation asks interior minister for meeting with imprisoned Zmitser Dashkevich

Souhayr Belhassen, president of the International Federation of Human Rights (IFHR) who is on a visit to Minsk, has asked Interior Minister Uladzimir Navumaw for a meeting with imprisoned opposition activist Zmitser Dashkevich.

Human rights defender Ales Byalyatski told BelaPAN that the IFHR president had expressed the wish to meet with the imprisoned opposition activist in her request for a meeting with officials of the interior ministry. However, he said, Ms. Belhassen has not yet received any reply to the request.

Barys Haretski, an associate of Mr. Dashkevich, told reporters, that the meeting between Ms. Belhassen and the imprisoned politician was particularly important now that the latter was awaiting his new trial. “We hope that Ms. Belhassen’s request would somehow influence the Belarusian authorities,” he said.

The leader of an opposition youth group called Malady Front (Young Front), who is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence, is facing a charge of refusal to give testimony under Article 402 of the Criminal Code. The charge, which carries a prison sentence of up to three years, stems from the activist’s refusal to testify in a criminal case against another Malady Front member, Ivan Shyla, who also was accused of acting on behalf of an unregistered organization and received an official warning in a trial earlier this month.

The case has already been sent to the Shklow District Court.

Mr. Dashkevich has maintained his innocence, saying that he had the right to refuse to testify under a law that allows people not to give testimony against themselves or those close to them.

Mr. Dashkevich was arrested on September 15, 2006 on a charge of acting on behalf of an unregistered organization under Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code.

At his closed-door trial in October, he was found guilty as charged and sent to a minimum-security correctional institution.

International observers condemned the politician’s sentence as politically motivated and Amnesty International declared Mr. Dashkevich a prisoner of conscience.

He has been serving his term in a correctional institution in Shklow, Mahilyow region, since December 7. In early June, he was denied release on parole because of his allegedly poor conduct. On July 20, he turned 26.

Malady Front has made five attempts to obtain registration with the justice ministry but to no avail.