Henadz Fiadynich: There Have Been No Suc Precedents In Belarus

The "trade union case" is monitored by foreign human rights defenders and international trade unions.

At 11.30 on July 30 the first hearing in the "trade unions case" will be held in the Leninski district court of Minsk (Siamashka Street, 33). The trial is open, anyone can come. The trial will be conducted by judge of the Savetski district court M.Fiodarava, praca-by.info informs.

"It seems that the court also considers our case as not quite ordinary: there may be an influx of visitors, which the small courtrooms of the Savetski district court simply will not admit," - chairman of the REP trade union Henadz Fiadynich explained the fact that the case is considered in the court of another district.

On May 8, Chairman of the REP trade union Henadz Fiadynich and Head of the Minsk city organization of the REP Ihar Komlik where presented the final charges: tax evasion on a particularly large scale (Part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code). The trade union leaders are accused of the fact that, by their fault, the REP trade union "did not pay taxes to the state budget" in the amount of 22,867 rubles 10 kapeykas. The state prosecution filed a statement of claim for recovery of property damage in the amount of 22,867.10 rubles in a joint order.

- We hope for the best, but we are preparing for the worst. A big thank you to the court and the authorities — they prepared a chic "gift" for my birthday - on July 31 I turn 61. In our country, unplanned accidents do not happen too often, - Henadz Fiadynich said.

The leader of the REP trade union has no illusions about a fair trial in the case. At the same time Henadz Fiadynich emphasizes that the precedent itself can have far-reaching consequences for the entire civil sector in Belarus:

- They created a fake e-mail account, stuff it with forged documents, and then legalize them through the prosecutor's office and the court - there have not been such precedents in Belarus yet. But I am sure that foreign legal experts, representatives of the Global Union IndustriAll and other international trade unions will monitor the course of the trial. The trial is open," - Henadz Fiadynich said.

The defendants in the "trade unions case" plead fully innocent.