Vitsebski kuryer Independent Newspaper Fined 1,5 Million Rubles

According to the BAJ press-service

On 6 September in Vitsebsk the trial on the case against the independent newspaper Vitsebski kuryer brought on suit of the entrepreneur Aliaksandr Danilau came to an end. The court decided to partially satisfy the plaintiff’s claims and exact from the newspaper 1,5 million rubles as a compensation for the harm allegedly done to him. The newspaper will also have to compensate the court expenditures to him and publish a denial.

Let us remind that the reason for the suit was the article Freedom Square for Intimate Circle which concerned Danilau’s intention to build a Center of Youth Leisure in Freedom Square (the historical center of Minsk). The article’s author Stsiapan Starazhyl whether it was really necessary to build such a center there and stated that the permission for it that was issued by Minsk City Executive Committee was premature and needed preliminary public discussion.

The case against the newspaper has been considered by the judge Tatsiana Zhuraukova since 4 July. As a result the court partially satisfied the plaintiff’s demands (Mr Danilau demanded to exact from the newspaper and the article’s author 35 million rubles for the moral harm). The editorial office of Vitsebski kuryer intends to appeal the court decision to a supreme instance.