Baranavichy: Police Detain Viktar Tsiapin for Distribution of Tovarishch Newspaper

Source: www.baj.ru

An engineer of automated lines at a local factory, member of the Party of Communists of Belarus Viktar Tsiapin has been arrested for distributing the Tovarishch non-governmental newspaper, which is founded by the PCB, in Baranavichy.

V.Tsiapin began distributing the newspaper in front of the factory entrance at about on 2 February, at about 7 a.m. (before the beginning of his working shift). Soon a traffic police car drove up to him. The policemen arrested Mr. Tsiapin and took to Baranavichy city police department.

According to the arrested, it was clarified that there are no misdeed in his actions, because the newspaper is officially registered, apologized and released him. The protocol on the arrest was not drawn up, and Mr. Tsiapin was given a reference for presentation at work that he had been in the police station from 7.15 till 9.00.

It should be reminded that it is the second arrest of the public activist already within the last two months.

Mr. Tsiapin was arrested by the policemen during the election campaign to local deputy soviets, when he was leaving the factory building after work. There were 200 copies of Belorusskiy Vestnik unregistered edition in the bag he was carrying.

As the public activist explained, he left the bag in the cloakroom and was going to distribute the copies to workers after work. Then a protocol was drawn up on Mr. V. Tsiapin.

And in January the administrative commission of Baranavichy city executive committee fined V.Tsiapin for alleged violation of article 172 of the Administrative Code (‘distributing printed editions, made with the breach of definite order, which do not have output data, the content of which is aimed on infliction to the state and public order, rights and legitimate interests of citizens...’)

Now V.Tsiapin appeals the committee decision to Baranavichy city court.

It should be noted that the offence provides for the edition distribution exactly and there is only the fact of its carrying in this case. It is also necessary that all the violations, mentioned in the article 172 of the AC, occurred to prosecute on it.

The BAJ Press Service