Police and courts keep hounding Vitsebsk activist

A resident of Vitsebsk Piotr Ivanov was again fined for an administrative offense allegedly committed by him. The amount of the fine is 5 mln rubles. And the fact that he had been tried was reported to Piotr Ivanov only when the proceedings in the court had been over: as claimed by Mr. Ivanov, he had received the summons the day after the hearing.

Thus, according to Piotr Ivanov, Judge Natallia Karablina of Vitebsk Pershamaiski District Court deprived him of his right to a fair trial, in violation of paragraph 1, Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The case was brought before the court by chief of the district police department. Piotr Ivanov was charged under Article 23.5 of the Code on Administrative Offences (insulting an official in the performance of official duties”). He allegedly insulted policemen Bahatyrou and Stsiapanau, who testified against him as witnessed in court on April 17, when Judge Valiantsina Kismiaroshkina convicted the activist of false testimony against police officers, as well as disobeying police. Then the amount of the fine was 4 mln rubles.

Repressions against Piotr Ivanov may be continued, as it is possible that he will soon face criminal charges: as we reported earlier, after the trial on April 17 Judge Kismiaroshkina asked the Investigative Committee to launch a probe, saying that Piotr Ivanov had committed crimes under Articles 369 (“insulting a government official”), 391 (“insulting the judge”) and 400 (“providing misleading information”).

Source: vitebskspring.org