Aftermath of People's Assemblies: Homel activists appeal against fines and arrests

On 30 November Valery Sliapukhin, a coordinator of the civil campaign “Tell the Truth!” filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. The activists disagrees with the rulings of the Chyhunachny District Court of Homel (according to which he was sentenced to a fine of 1,4 mln Belarusian rubles for “violation of the rules of conduct of mass events”) and the Homel Regional Court (which upheld the previous verdict).

On 30 November the Homel Regional Court also considered the cassation appeals of the head of the organizing committee of the People's Assembly in Homel, Vasil Paliakou, and civil activist Illia Mironau. Both activists had participated in the 12 November Assembly. Paliakou had been sentenced to 5 days of arrest for “violation of the rules of conduct of mass events”, and Mironau – to 10 days of arrest, for alleged distribution of leaflets. Both trials had taken place at the Chuhynachny District Court of Homel.

However, the regional court ignored the main argument of the activists – that the conduct of People's Assemblies didn't fell under the requirements of the Law “On Mass Events”, but was regulated by the Law “On Local and National Assemblies”. As a result, the verdicts were left standing.

Meanwhile, four civil activists, Dzmitry Karashkou, Illia Mironau, Vasil Takarenka and Kseniya Yaraslautsava, disagreed with the fines, imposed on them by the Chuhynachny District Court of Homel for participation in the People's Assembly on 8 October and intend to appeal against it in the Homel Regional Court.