English

Lukashenka orders three men suspected of murdering alleged arsonist released pending trial

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has interfered to secure the release of three village residents suspected of murdering a 43-year-old man over a recent arson spree in the Homyel region.

The body of the man, who had a vast record of criminal convictions and was to stand trial on arson charges, was found on January 6 and the suspects were arrested four days later.

The case has made headlines and residents of the village have petitioned for mercy for the suspects.

Speaking at a government conference on February 6, Alyaksandr Lukashenka told Interior Minister Uladzimir Navumaw to release the men pending their trial. “Take the men back to the village and let them work there, stay in their families, and you invite and question them, it will be better for them than staying in a pretrial detention center,” Mr. Lukashenka said.

The Belarusian leader also asked Supreme Court Chairman Valyantsin Sukala to sympathize with the suspects. “He was a villain, terrorized people, the entire village. If the men took the step, they probably were angered indeed and all ordinary people are on their side. I don’t say that this should be encouraged. Without encouraging, one should understand these people who took this extreme measure,” he said.

Mr. Lukashenka noted that the men should face mild punishment. “They can’t be sent to prison. What, did a great man die? He had been in and out of prison, came back and terrorized the entire village,” he stressed.

The three men were released and driven to their village hours after Mr. Lukashenka gave the order.

When reached by BelaPAN, suspect Andrey Petruchenya said that he and his associates had wanted to teach the arsonist a lesson rather than murder him.

The victim had six convictions and was believed to have committed three arson attacks in his native village of Pukhavichy near Zhytkavichy, Homyel region, between November and December 2008.

In a similar case last year, two grandsons of an elderly woman resident in a village near Loyew, Homyel region, were arrested after murdering a man whom they suspected of robbing their grandmother. //BelaPAN