Hrodna: human rights defender Rutkouskaya appeals fine
Sviatlana Rudkouskaya, member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee
On 25 May Sviatlana Rutkouskaya, a member of the Belarusian
Helsinki Committee from Hrodna, was fined by the head of the Leninski District
Police Department, lieutenant colonel Yauhen Yarmantovich. The matter is that
Rudkouskaya, being the head of a local housing cooperative, had allegedly failed
to issue the complaint book to a citizen, thus violating Article 9.24 of the Code
of Administrative Offences of the Republic
of Belarus.
Sviatlana Rudkouskaya considers it a revenge for her human rights activism, including
participation in the independent monitoring of the latest presidential election.
She tried to receive a consultation from the main legal adviser of the Leninski
District Executive Committee of Hrodna, Katsiaryna Fiadosenka. However, instead
of rendering legal aid the latter rudely advised the human rights defender to resign
from work. As a result, Sviatlana made an entry in the complaint book of the Leninski
DEC concerning the inadequate treatment of applicants by Fiadosenka. Moreover, she
appealed the ruling of 25 May at a personal audience with Valiantsin Mikhnevich,
Chair of the police department of the Hrodna Region Executive Committee.
Human Rights Chronicle
