Information about criminal prosecution (for public distribution)
On August 4, philosopher and methodologist Uladzimir Matskevich, his colleagues, sociologist and methodologist Tatsiana Vadalazhskaya, sociologist and methodologist Oksana Shelest, and his former colleague from the EuroBelarus consortium Ulad Vialichka were searched and detained. Oksana Shelest and Ulad Vialichka were released after interrogations with a non-disclosure agreement. Uladzimir Matskevich and Tatsiana Vadalazhskaya were taken to the KGB for interrogation. All investigative actions (searches, first interrogations, or "operational interrogations") were carried out by KGB officers. At the same time, the case is officially conducted by the Office of the Investigative Committee of Minsk city.
After interrogations, Matskevich and Vadalazhskaya were taken to the temporary detention center on the street. Akrestsina (IVS Akrestsina), in the status of a suspect in a criminal offense under Part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus *. Uladzimir Matskevich’s lawyer was not notified of his arrest and was only able to get to him two days later, on 6 August 2021. The reason of Matskevich's interrogation was his and his colleagues’ social activities, as well as his public statements about the political situation in Belarus.
On August 6, Uladzimir Matskevich and Tatsiana Vadalazhskaya were recognized as political prisoners by Belarusian human rights activists.
Conditions in the IVS on Akrestsina Street remain very bad for political prisoners: they are kept without mattresses, without beds, with round-the-clock lighting, which can be equated with inhuman treatment.
After the expiration of 10 days from the moment of detention, on Saturday, August 14, Tatsiana Vadalazhskaya was released in the status of a suspect and on recognizance not to leave.
On August 14, Uladzimir Matskevich was presented with a decree on the selection of a preventive measure in the form of detention and transferred to SIZO-1 on Volodarsky street. Within all this period, no other investigative actions were carried out with Matskevich. The charges against Matskevich should be brought no later than August 24th.
Matskevich looks and holds up well.
Information about Uladimir Matskevich
Matskevich, Uladzimir Uladzimirovich (philosopher), https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87,_%D0%92%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80_%D0%92%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87_(%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84)
See also Matskevich’s Method, Tatsiana Vadalazhskaya, May 14, 2021, https://fly-uni.org/stati/metod-mackevicha/
On the activities of U.Matskevich and his colleagues
- Flying University, https://fly-uni.org/
- International NGO "EuroBelarus", https://eurobelarus.info/
- Think Belarus, https://t.me/methodology_by
* Article 342. Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them.
1. Organization of group actions that grossly violate public order and are associated with clear disobedience to the legal requirements of representatives of the authorities or entail disruption of the work of transport, enterprises, institutions or organizations, or active participation in such actions in the absence of signs of a more serious crime -
are punishable by arrest, or restraint of liberty for a term of two to five years, or imprisonment for a term of up to four years.