Homel: UCP Activists Can Be Fined Up to 100 000 Belarusian Rubles

On 5 October the chair of Homel city organization of the United Civil Party (UCP) Andrei Tolchyn and his wife Katsiaryna were summonsed to the administrative commission of Savetski borough of Homel. The activists are accused of violation of the passport regime and can be fined up to 100 000 Belarusian Rubles (about 45 US dollars) each.

On 20 September the Tolchyns were detained at one of Homel markets for distribution fly-sheets about problems of entrepreneurs and the taxation system. According to Mr Tolchyn, the police spent much time trying to decide what accusation to put in their reports. ‘We argued about the reason of my detention for 2,5 hours. I demanded that they composed a report of administrative detention. They consulted KGB and their administration,’ Mr Tolchyn said. Finally they found a formal violation to cling to and composed a report for violation of article 179 of the Administrative Code that prohibits dwelling without passport or registration. The registration seals are really absent in the Tolchyns’ passports though they have repeatedly applied to Homel Savetski Borough Department of Internal Affairs for the registration. Andrei Tolchyn thinks that the administrative commission will issue to him and his wife the maximal punishment possible, which is about 100 000 Belarusian rubles fine. ‘I think so because they asked us about our previous administrative punishments. This year we’ve had quite a lot of them – fines and imprisonments', he explained.