MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th October, 2020) The Defense team of leading Belarusian opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova has filed a complaint over the charges brought against her, arguing that the accusation was vague and violated her right to an adequate defense, the Coordination Council on the transfer of power said on Friday.
Founding member of the Coordination Council Kolesnikova was arrested last month on accusations of inciting a coup to seize power in Belarus. The arrest took place after Kolesnikova allegedly tore up her passport to prevent a forced deportation to neighboring Ukraine, something the Council has called to open a criminal case into.
"The defense of [Maria] Kolesnikova filed a complaint with the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Belarus against an illegal and unfounded accusation brought against her on September 16. In the complaint, the defense draws attention to the inconsistency of the charge brought with the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code, to the violation of Maria's right to defense in connection with that it is not clear from the prosecution which specific actions of Maria constitute a crime under Article 361 of the Criminal Code [inciting coup]," the Council said in a post on Telegram.
The Council went on to call for the prosecutor to drop the case and suspend the probe into the imprisoned opposition figure.
The Council was set up by the opposition members who reject the results of the presidential election held on August 9. State prosecutors launched proceedings against the council, suggesting that it could harm the country's security. To date, all members of the opposition coordination council have been detained, arrested or are abroad.
