Ashmiany court: album “Belarus Press Photo 2011” contains extremist materials

Ashmiany District Court ruled today in a lawsuit brought by the KGB’s Hrodna regional department and found the album “Belarus Press Photo 2011” an extremist edition. As a result of a two-day trial, the 41 copies of the publication earlier confiscated by the customs officials were ordered to be destroyed.

The proceedings were initiated by the KGB, who urged to recognize the photographs featured in the album as manifesting extremist ideas.

The expert commission appointed by the decision of Hrodna regional executive committee concluded that the album “Belarus Press Photo 2011,” which was seized when crossing the Belarusian-Lithuanian border in November 2012, “contains intentionally distorted, untrue materials about life in the Republic of Belarus in the political, economic, social and other spheres, offending the honor and dignity of citizens of the Republic of Belarus.”