Salihorsk entrepreneurs receive big fines

29.02.2008. Tags: entrepreneurs, political persecution, fines.

On February 27th the court of Minsk district and Zaslauye considered administrative charges against three family members of Salihorsk entrepreneur Aliaksandr Tsatsura and against Viktar Kryval.

Judge Siarhei Ahafonski recognized them guilty of violating Article 23.4 of the Administrative Code – “Insubordination to the legal demands of a police officer” and imposed the following fines: Aliaksandr Tsatsura – 50 basic units, Tamara Tsatsura – 30 basic units, Ilya Tsatsura – 30 basic units. Viktar Kryval who is serving a 15-days arrest, was also fined 50 basic units, in his absence.

On January 10th, Aliaksandr Tsatsura, who was one of the applicants for permission of the planned entrepreneurs’ rally, went to Minsk in order to participate in the rally. He drove a minivan with his wife and son, as well as entrepreneur Viktar Kryval. On the way to Minsk he was stopped by road police. The policemen took his driving license and accused him of driving on the left lane of the road while the right lane was allegedly free. When Aliaksandr Tstatsura with family and Viktar Kryval walked to Minsk on foot, the policemen detained them and took them to Minsk district police department, where they spent 7 hours. In the police department all four were accused of insubordination to demands of police officers.

On February 13th , after serving a 5-day jail term for collecting signatures under petition to the local authorities to facilitate abolition of presidential edict 760, Aliaksandr Tsatsura was summoned to Salihorsk road police department. The policemen gave him an official decision about depriving him of a driving license for two years and a fine of 350, 000 BYR (about 180 US dollars).

Today court imposed additional fines on Tsatsura and family.

On February 11th Minsk district court began the trial over regional activist of entrepreneurs’ movement Viktar Kryval, but the trial was postponed to February 27th because Kryval made a petition asking for the trial in Belarusian language.