Uladzimir Labkovich and Tatsiana Reviaka appeal their fines at the Minsk City Court
Uladzimir Labkovich and Tatsiana Reviaka at court on 6 August 2013. Photo by Barys Haretski
The human rights activists appealed
against the verdict of the Savetski District Court, according to
which they were found guilty of violating Article 23.34 of the Code
of Administrative Violations and fined 3 million rubles each.
On
5 August the “Viasna” activists handed out postcards with
portraits of the imprisoned head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”
Ales Bialiatski in order to express solidarity with him. The guards
of the department store ““TsUM” called the police, after which
Uladzimir Labkovich and Tatsiana Reviaka were detained. They were
guarded to the Savetski District Police Department, released from
custody the same day due to inaccuracies in the violation reports.
The following day they were tried and sentenced to fines of 3
million rubles. Tatsiana Reviaka and Uladzimir Labkovich pleaded
innocent. At the trial they stated that the current Law "On Mass
Events" contradicts to Articles 33, 34 and 35 of the
Constitution. Moreover, the law limits the rights provided by the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 19).
The same arguments were presented in their appeals to the Minsk City
Court, in which they ask to set aside the judgment of the Savetski
District Court and terminate the administrative proceedings against
them.
