Astravets: violation report for distribution of registered newspaper

Officers of Astravets district executive committee (Hrodna oblast) composed a violation report against an opposition activist Ivan Kruk (well-known democratic activist, an organizer of resistance to construction of nuclear power plant in Astravets district).

The matter is that Kruk brought to the executive committee copies of Novy Chas with the article Hostages of peaceful atom about the ecological consequences of construction of the nuclear power plant in order to familiarize with it the local officials who agitate the population for the power plant.

An officer of the executive committee Mikhail Zimnitski ordered a police guard to detain I.Kruk. A report for ‘illegal distribution of the newspaper’ was drawn against him at the office of the lawyer Tatsiana Vialieika. It was signed by Zimnitski’s subordinates Blazhkevich and Valeika. They officials refused to give to the activist a copy of the document. Instead, they said they would direct it to Astravets district procuracy together with a copy of the newspaper, for a check-up of the legality of his actions.

Workers of the editorial board of Novy Chas contacted Astravets district executive committee and said that it was an officially registered newspaper. However, in response Zimnitski only asked them who Ivan Kruk was.