Fines remain a useful means of persecution. Two persons have been recently fined by the court in connection with their political activity. (1-MAR-2005)

120 thousand rubles on Dzmitry Shkulkou, a deputy of the local District Soviet and a member of Antonchyk.jpgUCP. The deputy was accused of illegally producing flyers covering the reform of the housing and utilities complex.
    
The report registering the violation allegedly committed by Shkulkou arrived from the police department of Chyhunachny Borough of Homel. On 4 February Homel police officers together with representatives of the traffic police had stopped a taxi that was taking Deputy Shkulkou to the railroad station and searched his personal belongings. In the deputy’s bag the police officers found flyers of the Partnership initiative about the reform of the housing and utilities complex in Belarus.
    
A report registering the distribution of flyers whose content allegedly aims to damage the state and civil order was drawn up. After Deputy Shkulkou said at the sitting of the Administrative Commission that he could not be possibly going to Homel to distribute the flyers as he had been in a taxi, the commission fined him for illegal production of flyers.

On 24 February the judge of Savetski Borough of Minsk Aksana Reliava found Siarhei Antonchyk guilty of failing to act in accordance with an established order when organizing an unsanctioned gathering in an apartment rented by S. Antonchyk. According to part 2 of Article 167.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus, S.Antonchyk was already awarded a fine worth 150 basic units. It should be noted that during the court hearing that lasted for four days around ten witnesses were questioned. None of them confirmed that S. Antonchyk had organized a gathering to discuss issues relating to the civil and political situation in the country. According to the witnesses, they gathered to listen a historian’s report. Also, a privately-owned apartment is not a public, civil location. However, Judge A.Reliava believes because the apartment is a rented one, several citizens gathering there can be referred to as an unsanctioned assembly.

The way Judge A.Reliava interpreted the Law of the Republic of Belarus On Mass Events is quite surprising. The ruling she passed suggests, for example, that a person wanting to arrange a birthday party and invite their friends to the apartment they rent will have to go to the Minsk City Executive Commission for permission.

What should be noted is that S. Antonchyk has already once been found guilty of organizing unsanctioned gatherings in indoor premises.

In the photo: Siarhey Antonchyk