Court justifies ‘Svaboda’

On 12 December Iuye district court held a repeated trial concerning ‘extremist articles’ in August issue of the unregistered newspaper Svaboda. According to the lawyer Pavel Sapelka, who represented the newspaper’s interests at the trial, the court rejected the suit of Ihar Siarheyenka, head of Hrodna oblast KGB department, as no extremist articles have been found in the issue in question.

Bear in mind that on 9 Setember Iuye district court declared the issue #127 for 14-18 August of Svaboda extremist and ruled to liquidate 5 000 copies of it. The civil case was instigated on the intiative of the head of Hrodna oblast KGB department Siarheyenka. The reason was that the article War in Georgia seemed suspicious to the official.

On 5 November Hrodna oblast court considered the cassation complaint against the verdict of Iuye district court. Judge Alexander Sitsko reversed the verdict and returned the case to Iuye district court for re-trial.