The Investigative Committee of Minsk has completed an investigation against ten members of the anarchist movement, the press service of the Investigative Committee reports. Their actions are qualified under 10 articles of the Criminal Code. Most likely, we are talking about the case of Marfa Rabkova. The list of articles of accusation is the same as reported by her in the letter.
According to the investigation, three of the defendants — two men and a woman (31, 29 and 26 years old, respectively) from 2005 to 2020 united a number of groups created in Belarus and other countries, including well-known groups of the anarchist movement («Revolutionary Action», «People’s Self-Defense» and «Revolutsyina dzia»). The Investigative Committee reports that these groups had autonomous units in the regions, with the assistance of which an online store was created for the sale of literature recognized as extremist in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. Spheres of influence and territories were allegedly distributed in the organization, the subordination of the participants and their functions were determined. The 31-year-old detainee in 2011 was already tried along with anarchists Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok and Dzmitry Dubouski.
It is reported that banners and stickers with protest inscriptions, smoke grenades, gas cartridges, bits, quadrocopters and so on were seized at the place of residence of the defendants. Two of the three defendants (a 26-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man) are accused of involvement in the arson of the Tax Office of the Gomel district in March 2017 using «Molotov cocktails.» The press service of the Investigative Committee reports that for the arson they found the perpetrators and gave them instructions on how exactly it should be committed. Two more detainees are suspected of throwing a smoke bomb into the building of the GUBOPiK in Brest in 2016.
In addition, investigators believe that the detainees are involved in the damage to banners with the image of police officers in 2016-2020 and the arson of a billboard in Ivatsevichi. In spring of 2017 and 2018, the detainees allegedly took part in blocking the roadway and transport in Brest.
According to the Investigative Committee, the defendants, via the resources managed by them, publicly called for «harm to the national security of Belarus» on the day of the presidential elections on August 9, 2020, and the following days.
A new case was allocated against 26-year-old Dzmitry Levchuk, 24-year-old Artur Kandratovich, 29-year-old Raman Khalilov and Yevgeny Zhurauski, who are currently not in Belarus. Khalilov and Zhurauski are accused of holding a protest rally near the building of the Belarusian Embassy in Poland, at which they showed portraits of Andrei Zeltser, who was killed in a shootout on Yakubovskogo Street in Minsk, and thus took part in «glorification of terrorist activities.»
The actions of ten defendants were qualified under 10 articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus:
- Part 1, 2 of Art. 285 (Creation of a criminal organization or its leadership);
- Part 1, 2, 3 of Art. 293 (Mass riots);
- Part 1 of Art. 130 (Incitement of racial, national, religious or other social hatred or discord);
- Art. 341 (Desecration of buildings and damage to property);
- Part 1 of Art. 342 (Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them);
- Part 2,3 of Art. 339 (Hooliganism);
- Part 3 of Art. 218 (Intentional destruction or damage to property committed in a generally dangerous manner or causing damage on a large scale);
- Part 2 of Art. 295-3 (Illegal actions in relation to objects which action is based on use of combustible substances);
- Part 3 of Art. 361 (Calls for actions aimed at causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus);
- Part 1,3 of Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code (Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it).
Now the defendants and their lawyers have completed familiarization with the materials of the criminal case, it is reported that it amounted to more than 160 volumes. The case will be referred to the prosecutor for referral to the court.
Source: Reform.by
