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Eduard Lobaw’s complaint submitted to UN Human Rights Committee

Campaigners for the release of Eduard Lobaw, an imprisoned activist of an opposition youth organization called Malady Front (Young Front), have submitted a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee on his behalf.

The individual communication provides evidence that law-enforcement and judicial agencies violated Mr. Lobaw’s rights while arresting him and examining his criminal case, according to human rights website www.spring96.org.

The communication was drawn up by lawyers of the Lithuanian-registered Belarusian Documentation Center. In cooperation with US-based law firm Hogan Lovells, they earlier wrote complaints on behalf of Fyodar Mirzayanaw and Mikalay Statkevich, who were sentenced to prison in connection with post-election protest that was staged in Minsk on December 19, 2010.

On March 24, 2011, a district judge in Minsk sentenced Mr. Lobaw, currently 25, to four years in prison, and Malady Front leader Zmitser Dashkevich to two years in prison, finding them guilty of "especially malicious hooliganism."

The young men were arrested in Minsk on December 18, on the eve of the post-election protest, for allegedly beating up two passers-by.

Speaking during their trial, Messrs. Lobaw and Dashkevich said that the incident was a provocation orchestrated by authorities and accused the two alleged victims of giving false testimony. // BelaPAN