The official Minsk reacted to the wave of protest against the introduction of the 18% tax with fines and arrests to the active participants of the actions. The repression campaign is nationwide and touches representatives of different regions of Belarus. (22-MAR-2005)
Minsk Tsentralny Borough Court punished two participants of the protest action of businessmen in Minsk. The activist of United Civil Party Maryna Bahdanovich was fined 4 800 000 rubles (more than $2 000) for “violation of Article 167.1 of the Code of Administrative Violations of Belarus” (violation of the order of organization and holding mass actions). For the same violation the chair of the public association Perspective Anatol Shumchanka was sentenced to 10 days of jail.
On 3 March about 2 000 of businessmen gathered in the center of Hrodna and went to Hrodna Regional Executive Committee, chanting “Let Us Work!”. At about 1 p.m. they stopped the traffic at the crossing of Dziarzhynski and Satsyialistychnaia streets. Soon several hundred of internal military forces pushed them out to the pavements, where the action continued. The policeman Uladzimir Buziuk detained the activist of Human Rights Center Viasna Mikola Lemianouski and took him to Hrodna Leninski Borough Board of Internal Affairs.
On 3 March the judge of Rechytsa District Court Sviatlana Pyrkh sentenced the businessman Leanid Nevar to 10 days of jail for alleged hooliganism and disobedience to the police. Despite high temperature and ill heart Nevar was taken back to the cell where he had already spent one day and got there a severe cold. The cell windows have polyethylene instead of glass and the temperature there doesn’t differ much from the temperature outdoors. The businessmen’s relatives think that the judge made this sentenced to completely destroy the health of the leader of Rechytsa businessmen.
On 4 March Hrodna Leninski Borough Court sentenced the activist of Human Rights Center Viasna Mikola Lemianouski to 15 days of jail. According to the police report, composed after the detention, Lemianouski was charged with small disorderly conduct (Article 156 of the Code of Administrative Violations) and disobedience to legal demands of the police (Article 166).
The journalist Andrei Pachobut was also detained after the action. He was found guilty of violation of Article 167.1 of the Code of Administrative Violations (violation of the order of organization and holding of mass actions) and sentenced to 10 days of jail by Hrodna Leninski Borough Court. Vadzim Saranchukou, member of Belarusian People’s Front, proxy of Siarhei Antusevich, candidate to deputies from BPF Party, was detained as well. Hrodna Leninski Borough Court sentenced Saranchukou to 10 days of jail for the protest action that took place in Hrodna on 10 February.
The same day the procurator’s office brought a criminal case upon Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (organization of group actions that violate the public order or active participation in them). The case was brought on the fact of the “violations of the public order” by stopping the traffic in the center of Hrodna during the yesterday’s protest action of businessmen.
On 10 March the court of Polatsk and Polatsk district considered that administrative case against Valery Shauchenka, vice-chair of Polatsk regional organization of Belarusian Independent Trade Union and leader of Polatsk entrepreneurs. The case was brought as a result of the report that was composed by the police. There V. Shauchenka was accused in the participation in the unauthorized meetings on 1-2 March in Polatsk. More than 80 local entrepreneurs came to support their colleague. Judge Natallia Abramava found Shauchenka guilty in violation of part 1 of Article #167.1 of the Code of Administrative Violations and fined him about $400.
At 7 p.m. on 11 March the term of the 10-day administrative arrest of Anatol Shumchanka was over. However, Shumchanka wasn’t let out of the detention center. Instead, the authorities brought against him a criminal case upon part 1 of Article #339 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (hooliganism). A. Shumchanka is suspected in having violently beaten his cell-mate during the arrest.
