13.08.2009 Baranavichy court takes sides with anti-nuclear activists

On 13 August Baranavichy court considered the lawsuit against the three youngsters who had been detained in April for making a number of graffiti on the walls of Baranavichy district executive committee and the Barauchanka knitting factory. In April the activists were tried for it. 18-year-old Aliaksei Zhynherouski was fined 350 000 rubles and two his under-age fellows-in-arms – 70 000 rubles each.

13.08.2009 Leanid Autukhou fined 1.4 million rubles for celebrating Independence Day

Judge of Haradok the district court found Leanid Autukhou guilty of organizing an unauthorized action and fined him 1.4 million rubles (about $487).

12.08.2009 Chyhunachny district court of Vitebsk fined ‘Young Front’ activist Taras Surhan for white-red-white flag

The youth activist was arrested for an attempt to hang out a national white-red-white flag on the bridge above the Western Dvina River on Solidarity Day, 16 July. As RFE/RL reports, Taras Surhan was fined 175 000 Belarusian rubles (about $62).

10.08.2009 Court turns down complaint of ‘European Belarus’ Maksim Viniarski

On 7 August, a complaint of activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Maksim Viniarski was considered in court.

06.08.2009 Fine for protest against resolution #991

Maskouski district court fined Young Front activist Aleh Valatkouski 1 050 000 rubles (about $ 372) for a demand to cancel the scandalous resolution. The defendant must also pay 500 000 rubles of compensation to utilities enterprise Partyzanskaya.

04.08.2009 Baranavichy: communal services demand more than 3 million rubles for anti-nuclear graffiti

On 4 August, the court of Baranavichy started the consideration of the lawsuit of the local communal services against the three youngsters accused of making graffiti ‘No to NPS’ on the building of Baranavichy district executive committee. The plaintiffs demanded from the defendants 3 350 000 rubles (about $ 1190) in damages.

03.08.2009 Representative of ‘Defenders of Fatherland’ sues against ‘Sovetskaya Belorussiya’

Alexander Kamarouski, co-chairman of the organizing committee of the republican public movement Defenders of Fatherland has sued against the state owned newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussiya for protection of honor, dignity and business reputation. The trial will take place on 11 August at Savetski district court of Minsk.

03.08.2009 Court considers oppositionists’ complaints in their absence

On 31 July, Minsk city court considered a complaint of Uladzimir Kumets, an activist of the civil campaign European Belarus, convicted for ‘Freedom to Autukhovich!’ banner.

31.07.2009 Activist Kruk demands unbiased inspection of his case

Ivan Kruk, public activist from the town of Astravets, Hrodna region, one of the initiators of the public campaign against the construction of a nuclear power plant, has lodged another complaint with Hrodna Regional Prosecutor’s Office demanding to initiate another full and unbiased inspection of his previous claim, which was left unattended by the authorities. ‘Astravets policemen, together with court officials and representatives of the local Prosecutor’s Office, had a political motivation to prosecute me at any cost. Meanwhile, they made a number of procedural mistakes while considering the materials of my civil prosecution,’ said Mr.Kruk in his complaint. On 26 June Astravets District Court fined Ivan Kruk BYR 700,000 for distributing independent media. The complaint was also sent to the International Federation of Human Rights and a number of Belarusian mass media.

22.07.2009 Mazyr HR activist says he suffered for political activity

According to the BelaPAN news agency, Mazyr human rights activist Pavel Nazdra has been accused of violating military registration rules and is facing a fine. ‘I have been charged with failure to inform the local military registration department of employment changes, while my employer did inform the department in due time,’ said the activist. Mr.Nazdra thinks the prosecution is caused by his activities in the civil society, namely his attempts to draw attention to the problem of exterminating stray pets. The activist says it is another case when the local authorities use Article 25.8 of the Administrative Code to prosecute him for his civil activities.

16.07.2009 Activist fined by tax inspection

For Freedom member Mikita Krasnou has been fined BYR 210,000 for failure to appear at tax inspection and is threatened with more severe punishment for organizing ‘educational clubs.’ The tax inspection is sure the training could not be carried out free of charge. They suspect Mikita Krasnou of failing to declare the income he could have received for it. As a result, the activist is facing several million worth fine.

16.07.2009 Human rights activist Leanid Svetsik sentenced to huge fine

Judge of Vitsebsk regional court found the human rights activist guilty of stirring up religious and ethnic discord.

Leanid Svetsik must pay a fine of 31 mln Br ($10,890).

In his turn, as Radio Svaboda notes, the human rights activist strongly objects the verdict and believes he had been convicted illegally.

In 2006–2007, Leanid Svetsik was rendering legal aid to Vitsebsk activists, who received letters with threats on behalf of unregistered pro-Nazi organization Russian National Unity, was helping to prepare complaints to prosecutors.

13.07.2009 Representative of Belarusian Christian Democracy not allowed to familiarize with pretensions of the Ministry of Justice

The responsible secretary of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Dzianis Sadouski paid a visit to the Supreme Court to familiarize with the documents where the pretensions of the Ministry of Justice because of which the BCD was not registered, were stated.

09.07.2009 Ivan Kruk appeals against fine

Astravets activist Ivan Kruk, who has been fined for handing out press editions containing no imprint, appealed against the verdict of Astravets district court to Hrodna oblast court, and also applied to Hrodna oblast prosecutor’s office.

08.07.2009 Baranavichy: legal lynching of beaten entrepreneur Volha Minko

On 6 July the court of Baranavichy and Baranavichy district considered the administrative case against the entrepreneurs Volha Minko, brought under Article 23.4 of the Administrative Code – ‘insubordination to an official on duty’.