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“The search for S. Cichanouskaya has been announced. His extradition documents have been handed over to the Attorney General’s Office,” the report was posted on the website of the Belarus Investigative Committee on Tuesday.
Law enforcement officers loyal to authoritarian President Aliaksandr Lukashenko say they have “received information that people in the immediate vicinity of Cichanouskaya are preparing for massive riots and the occupation of state buildings in Gomel.”
“To investigate and plan their actions in detail, the defendants held a meeting on August 5, which was attended, among others, by Cichanouskaya herself,” included the report of the Investigation Commission, which includes a video of the meeting.
A comment circulated by Ms. Cichanouskaya’s spokeswoman at the time emphasized that she only supported peaceful methods.
“During the pre-election program and during the protests that lasted several months after the elections, Sviatlan Cichanouskaya’s team communicated and continues to communicate with many Belarusians.” Some of them have always been and still are focused on radical measures, but Sviatlana Cichanouskaya it has never been involved in the development of such plans, “the comment said.
“The posted video shows that she left the room to stop the discussion. According to the protests in Belarus, which lasted more than 200 days, S. Cichanouskaja and his team only supported peaceful methods, “he added.
The inquiry commission report states that these circumstances became clear during the investigation of a criminal case against the husband of S. Cichanouskaya, a popular blogger Siarhei Cichanouski, who was arrested in May last year. These circumstances were separated in a separate criminal case.
According to the Investigation Commission, “the militia agents prevented the defendants from committing crimes and detained key figures in the criminal case between August 6 and 8 of last year.” Following the investigation, they were charged with preparing for mass riots and preparing to occupy the buildings of state institutions. Pretrial detention is for all defendants.
The investigation of the criminal case has ended, your material has been delivered to the prosecutor, who will deliver it to the court.
Former Belarusian presidential candidate S. Cichanouskaya withdrew to Lithuania after the August 9 elections, which were declared the winners by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has led the country since 1994.
The opposition and Western democracies claim the elections were rigged, and the winner sees political fledgling S. Cichanouskaya, who replaced her imprisoned husband in the presidential fight.
