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Rights defender in Brest complains to district police chief about recent arrest

 

Human rights defender Raman Kislyak has submitted a formal complaint to the head of the Leninski district police department in Brest about his recent arrest.

Mr. Kislyak was arrested by police as he was driving in his car in the city in southwestern Belarus on November 8. The police officers explained that he was an offender evading prosecution for a civil offense and brought him to a police station.

The rights defender was told at the police station that he had been arrested for evading compulsory fingerprinting. "The police de facto forced me to give fingerprints," Mr. Kislyak said.

“I say in my complaint that the decision to bring a charge against me and arrest me is illegal,” the rights activist told BelaPAN. “In October, I was not contacted by police about the need to give my fingerprints and no charge sheets were drawn up.”

Mr. Kislyak described the charge and subsequent arrest as a violation of the presumption of innocence. “I must be viewed as innocent until proven guilty in accordance with law,” he said.