Independent publisher to stand another trial in Kryčaŭ

Uladzimir Kudrautsau, publisher of the independent newspaper Volny Horad, received a summons from the court of Kryčaŭ district, saying that the examination of his administrative case will be held on June 3.

Mr. Kudrautsau also received a copy of a police report on an administrative offense he allegedly committed.

The charges say that Kudrautsau, “prepared a misleading defamatory fabrication against police officer Dziameshka by providing information to the website spring96.org alleging that Dziameshka threatened him with criminal charges for slander in a proceeding on his lawsuit against chief of the department of ideology, culture and youth affairs of the Kryčaŭ district executive committee M. Maksimava, after which the information was published on the website on 5 April 2015”.

The new police report was written on May 25.

Uladzimir Kudrautsau was not present during the drafting of the new report, after he refused to appear in the police department referring to Article 27 of the Constitution.