Baranavichy entrepreneur fined for charity lunch

Baranavichy entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus was sentenced by the court of the city of Baranavichy and Baranavichy district to a fine of 3 million rubles. He was charged under Par. 2 of Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code of Belarus – "organizing and holding an unauthorized mass event".

Mikalai Charnavus attempted to explain to Judge Aksana Sarahkman that the charity lunch was meant for people outside his workplace on their request. Simultaneously, he collected 307 signatures for students’ free travel in public transport. This was what people asked him to do during the election campaign, when Charnavus ran for the House of Representatives. Despite all the arguments, the Judge ruled that the charity lunch and the gathering of signatures was to be considered as a mass event, which needed approval by the authorities.