Brest: court sides with police boss

04.11.2011 Tags: administrative prosecution, freedom of peaceful assembly, political parties & movements, arrest

https://spring96.org/en/news/47092 2011 2011-11-04T13:37:27+0300 2011-11-04T13:37:27+0300 1970-01-01T03:00:00+0300 en https://spring96.org/files/images/sources/shurhaj.jpg The Human Rights Center “Viasna” The Human Rights Center “Viasna” The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Zmitser Shurkhai, a coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, was detained on 28 June 2011, on the eve of a silent protest action, and charged with using obscene language in public.

As a result, he was sentenced to 7 days of arrest. He appealed against this sentence at the Brest Region Court, which returned the case for the second trial. In the beginning of autumn the activist was justified by the Maskouski District Court of Brest. However, the head of the Maskouski District Police Department, Ihar Zhyhalau, was dissatisfied with it, and appealed against the justification at the Brest Region Court.

As a result, on 18 October the case was considered by the Maskouski District Court again, and again found him guilty of using obscene language in public. On 3 November the Brest Region Court confirmed the verdict.