Report of Chairman of Investigation Committee Ivan Noskevich

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko received a report of Chairman of the Investigation Committee Ivan Noskevich on 13 August.

The head of state asked about the performance of the Investigation Committee in 2019 and about the investigation of notable criminal cases. “If you want to draw my attention to certain things, I will listen to you. But the most important criminal cases, including those I am keeping an eye on, are a priority. If these cases have already been in court, I will listen to your remarks concerning the performance of courts. I want to know because the President is directly in charge of the judicial branch,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

“Plans have been made to meet with Belarusian law informant in the near future, maybe, next week, to discuss topical issues,” the President said. At the session the President wants to focus on the investigation of certain criminal cases. He cited the investigation of a case against the chief engineer of Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant [MZKT trademark] as an example.

“Investigative activities lasted for more than four years. I don’t understand how it is possible to apprehend a person, place him in a pretrial detention center (not even in prison, in a pretrial detention center, the difference is clear) and keep him there for four years,” the head of state said. “It is not okay. People deserve normal attitude.”

The chairman of the Investigation Committee remarked that the number of crimes increased by 8.3% in Belarus in January-July 2019 over the same period of the previous year. “More criminal cases were opened as a result,” he said.

In January-July, the number of crime incident reports increased by 4% over the same period of 2018. The number of criminal proceedings went up 12.3% from 75,000 to 84,200. The number of finished cases increased by 3.5%from 27,700 to 28,600. The number of convicted criminals went up 1.8% as against 2018.