Vitsebsk: journalist decided not to attend his “trial” and was fined in absentia
Uladzislau Staraverau was to have been tried at the
Kastrychnitski District Court of Vitsebsk in connection with his detention at
the Chernobyl Way
action held in Vitsebsk on 26 April.
The trial started on 27 April. It's continuation was scheduled for 10 May, but
the journalist said that he had nothing to do in this circus.
According to Mr. Staraverau, high-rank police officers intended to bear testimony:
Chair of the public security section of the Main Police Department of the
Vitsebsk Region Executive Committee, and his colleague Aliaksandr Kalinouski,
Chair of the public security section of the Kastrychnitski District Police
Department of Vitsebsk.
On 26 April these people assaulted him from the rear when he started taking
photos of the mournful procession. They threw him on the ground, twisted his
arms and broke his photo camera.
“As I found later, they disliked being photographed! I have no hope for
trustworthy testimonies after such treatment – beating, detention and detention
at the police station before the trial. Tens of people saw that I didn't show
any resistance and didn't say any obscene words. However, I don't believe that
Judge Alesia Zharykava will issue a justifying verdict,” commented the
journalist.
Uladzimir Staraverau also stated that he was leaving Belarus for some time, but didn't
intend to become a police prisoner and would try to continue his journalistic
activities despite any obstacles.
By the way, it is far from the first case when Staraverau is beaten or detained
by the police. The same thing happened to him on 25 March 2011, when he shot on
video the Freedom Day action in Vitsebsk. At the police station he was told that
he resembled a wanted pedophile, that's why he was knocked down and pulled to a
police car.
Uladzimir was detained 4 times in 2010. In December 2010 he was also served with
an official warning concerning the inadmissibility of working with foreign
media without getting an official accreditation.
The trial took place in the absence of the activist. Despite
the testimonies of the local democratic activists, the judge sentenced the
journalist to pay two fines, the total sum of which is 875,000 rubles. One of
them – for allegedly using obscene language in public, and the other – for insubordination
to the police during the 26 April detention.
Human Rights Chronicle
