Supreme Economic Court reverses decision by first instance court

On 23 February the Supreme Economic Court reversed the verdict by a first instance court obliging the owner of the Borisovskiye novosti independent newspaper to pay over BYR 48,000,000 for ‘illegal business activity’ (part 1 of Article 12.7 of the Administrative Code). The decision is final and the case is terminated.
‘It means that the company has been found not guilty, it will not have to pay the fine and its income will not be confiscated’, said the lawyer Siarhei Zikratski.
However, the newspaper has been deprived of its retail license and cannot be distributed freely. Now, after the verdict by the Supreme Economic Court, the Borisovskiye novosti may regain the license. ‘We won’t be able to sell the newspaper until the case is settled’, says Siarhei Zikratski.