Case against opposition politician’s cousin goes to court

August 23, BPN. Minsk’s Centralny district prosecutor’s office has forwarded to court the criminal case against Anatol Łatuška, Alena Malinoŭskaja, and Lilija Ananian, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

Human rights groups declared all three political prisoners. They were arrested on January 31 for allegedly drawing Pahonia symbols on mailboxes and are charged with malicious hooliganism, desecrating state symbols, obstructing the right to participate in a referendum and the work of the Central Election Commission.

One of the defendants was also charged with illegal actions regarding private life and personal data and gross violations of public order.

Anatol Łatuška, 45, is a cousin of Belarusian politician Pavieł Łatuška, head of the Warsaw-based National Anti-Crisis Management and member of the opposition’s transition cabinet, who faces eight criminal charges in Belarus. Some of the Criminal Code articles carry the death penalty.

In January 2022, there were reports that the State Control Committee opened a criminal case against the politician’s daughter Jana Łatuška, who lives in Poland.