Salihorsk District Court Abolishes Huge Fines to Youth Activists

On 11 January the judge Lapina ruled to abolish all four rulings of the administrative commissions according to which the youth activist Khrystsina Samoilava was to have paid 2 480 000 rubles fine (about 1 154 USD). The rulings were found unlawful. The administrative case will consider the same materials against the Young Front activist Samoilava again. In her complaints and speech Khrystsina pointed at gross law violations during her detention, drawing of the police reports and consideration of her case by the administrative commission of Salihorsk town executive committee. 

At 3 p.m. on 12 January the judge Burautou considered analogical complaints of the youth activist Ivan Shyla, who had been fined 1 860 000 rubles (865 US dollars). The consideration of his father, Uladzimir Shyla’s complaint, was postponed because at present the latter serves a 15-day arrest term for participation in an unauthorized action of protest, held by Belarusian entrepreneurs. 

All in all, Salihorsk district court satisfied 9 complaints of Young Front activists who were fined about 5 million rubles for participation in the ‘Put Communism to Tribunal’ action and actions of solidarity with political prisoners and the families of the missing persons. However, soon these administrative cases will be reviewed. It is not clear what sentences will be given to the activists this time.