“Zubr” Member Fined 30 Minimal Wages

On 31 July Minsk Maskowski Borough Court tried the activist of the unregistered youth movement “Zubr” Mikhail Volchak, participant of the unauthorized action, devoted to the Independence Day. M. Volchak was accused of having violated the first part of Article No. 167-1 of the Administrative Code. M. Volchak didn’t took the blame. In this case Judge Nadzeya Rewtskaya was to have interrogated the policemen, who detained the defendant, but she didn’t do that. She only watched the video materials and fined M. Volchak 30 minimal wages.

The lawyer of the PA HRC “Viasna” Uladzimir Labkovich participated in the trial as the defendant’s representative. Judge considered the question of his admission for a very long time and finally agreed to admit him, limiting his right only to characterize the defendant in his speech, by which she grossly violated Ruling No. 1 of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, adopted on 25 March 1999. This ruling guarantees to everyone the right to have a representative at trial with the full defence rights.