Two residents of Belaziorsk were fined 127 500 rubles each
On 18 July 2005 one of the deputy heads of Brest RDIA sentenced each of the residents of Belaziorsk Iuras Hubarevich and Zmitsier Tratsiak by terms of Article 130 of the Criminal Code of Belarus: to a fine of five basic units because on 9 July 2005 they were in Damachava without appropriate permission, which was in violation of the rules of stay in the frontier area.
We would like to remind you that on 9 July 2005 in Damachava there was a gathering of people, where the residents of Brest rural district elected delegates to the All-Belarusian Congress for Electing a Single Candidate for President from the Opposition. Representatives from the Popular Coalition 5+ were invited to the gathering, but they could not meet the people. As they arrived in Damachava (where a Polish border checkpoint is situated), they were all detained. The first one to be detained was UCP chair A.Liabedzka, then within ten minutes detained were: Mr. Shushkievich, Ms Vanina, Mr. Bukhvostau and some other people. The police made reports on everyone, some cars were examined, the books available confiscated.
The interests of Yu.Hubarevich and Z.Tratsiak in Brest RDIA were represented by the members of HRC Viasna Uladzimir Malei and Uladzimir Vialichkin. They believe that the fines awarded were imposed selectively on the people detained in Damachava.
Uladzimir Vialichkin explains: "Very many people pass through Damachava - this is a border checkpoint, and most of them visit the town, so Damachava always has a lot of non-locals without appropriate documents, however, they do not get detained. Thus, the authorities use article 130 of CC of Belarus to serve their needs: as an instrument of punishing the opposition activists. Personally, I was faced with an attempt to use this article during the recent election campaign, when a police officer in the Duboki polling station threatened to detain me, the trusted agent of the candidate U.Malei by terms of Article 130 CC of Belarus "for visiting the frontier area without appropriate permission documents".
