BPF deputy head appeals fine to Supreme Court
On May 27, BPF deputy head Ryhor Kastusiou has sent a supervisory appeal to the Chairman of the Supreme Court.
The politician asks the Supreme Court to cancel the decision of the Škloŭ District Court of 23 December 2014, which fined him 25 basic units for involvement in an action in memory of anti-Russian insurgents of 1863-64 held in the town of Svislač on 26 October 2014, and a later decision by the Mahilioŭ Regional Court, which confirmed the initial verdict.
Ryhor Kastusiou also requests the Supreme Court to make a particular decision against Judges Sviatlana Barantsava, Mikalai Hladki and Ihar Proshka for obvious violations of the law.
The BPF deputy head believes that the judges violated his rights under Art. 33, 34, 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and Art. 19, 21 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
On 23 December 2014, the Škloŭ District Court fined Ryhor Kastusiou, deputy chairman of the BPF party, 3.37 mln rubles for participation in the celebration of the Day of Remembrance of Kastus Kalinouski rebels in Svislač on October 26.
On 3 February 2015, his appeal was dismissed by Judge Mikalai Hladki of the Mahilioŭ Regional Court.
On April 17, Chairman of the Mahilioŭ Regional Court Ihar Proshka found no grounds for cancellation of an earlier court ruling by the Škloŭ District Court.
The memorial action was held in Svislač on October 26, 2014. It was attended by opposition activists from different regions of Belarus. The event was watched over by police officers in plain clothes mufti and a cameraman who recorded the meeting. A number of participants were later punished with heavy fines.
