Barysau: opposition activist is tried in absentia

At the end of November Sviatlana Danilava, a well-known distributor of the independent press from Barysau, received by mail the verdict of Pershamaiski district court of Minsk by which she was fined 700 000 rubles (about $330) for distribution of pre-electoral leaflets with calls to boycott. In the verdict it is also stated that she had not come to the trial.

Sviatlana Danilava was been detained on 21 September while handing out boycott leaflets. She was guarded to Pershamaiski district police department and kept there for about 15 hours. A violation report was drawn against her. Later the report was submitted to the procuracy of Barysau district. When the human rights activist tried to find what punishment she could receive as a result of it, the procurator’s aide said that no decision had been taken and that she did not need to go there.

Two months after the detention the judge of Pershamaiski district court of Minsk Ananich ruled to fine the 70-year-old distributor of free press with a huge fine, for alleged violation of part 3 of article 23.34 of the Administrative Code. The court did everything possible to prevent the woman from coming to the trial. She did not even receive a writ to it. However, in the verdict it is cynically stated that she did not come to the trial. Thus, the contemporary court practice shows us another eloquent example of real ‘democratization’ in Belarus.