Mahiliou activist appeals penalty for campaigning against Russian air bases

Yury Novikau, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Free Trade Union filed a supervisory appeal to the Chairman of the Mahiliou Regional Court.

He asks to cancel the decision of the court of Mahiliou’s Leninski district, which on 29 October, 2013 sentenced ​​him to a fine of 5.85 million rubles on charges of violating the Mass Media Code.

On September 8, Yury Novikau, together with other pro-democratic activists, collected signatures against the Russian air bases in the central Lenin Street. After the event was over, the activist was approached by policemen and detained.

The district court considered that the leaflets and petitions that were seized from the activist were media and awarded him a penalty. The Regional Court refused to side with the pro-democratic activist.

Mahiliou human rights defenders say the court decision is wrong, saying that the trial politically motivated persecution.