Criminal case for slandering President started in Brest

A criminal case for slandering the President has been started in Brest. A local inhabitant made a fence with political mottoes on it. “We were building communism and got the crisis” is one of the shortest mottoes that can be seen in Yesenin Street in Brest. 63-year-old Mikhail Lukashevich lives there. The Brester has built a fence of self-made banners.

The author’s mottoes are like Lego pieces and make up a huge political graffiti. He criticizes the Soviet and current authorities. Neighbours and people taking buses #6 and #32 can see them every day. The fence is facing the road.

Mikhail Lukashevich got personal in his mottoes. A criminal case was started against the man on December 29, 2014. Local human rights defender Uladzimir Malei told Euroradio:

"How did the authorities react to it? They sent policemen for preventive conversations with him (Lukashevich – Euroradio). As a citizen with his own civil position, he replied: ‘This is my property! I will write what I like here!’. Now they have started a criminal case for slandering the President against him.”  

A person named Lukashenka is mentioned in every other poster made by Mr. Lukashevich. It is not clear which of the mottoes is considered to be slander. By the way, the man is facing up to 4 years of imprisonment for it.

Lukashevich has refused to participate in any investigative actions, the human rights defender said. He has not signed a single paper and refused to visit the investigator. The police had to detain the man in order to interrogate him. Mihail Lukashevich spent 3 days in jail in February.

Lukashevich’s house was searched during the investigation, human rights defender Uladzimir Malei added. “Instruments of the crime” – a few tins of paint and 7 brushes – were confiscated. The fence has been left untouched.

Lukashevich is ignoring journalists: his house is guarded by a dog and Euroradio has not managed to reach him on the phone.