Property of oppositionist distrained for rally on Independence Day

On December 22 the leader of Haradok branch of the Belarusian Popular Front party Leanid Autukhou was visited by and officer of the court and two attesting witnesses.

They informed that they were going to distrain Autukhou’s property as the oppositionist failed to pay a fine to the court for organizing an allegedly unsanctioned rally, Radio Svaboda informs.

Only a computer with a printing device and speakers were distrained in his house.

Leanid Autukhou was fined 1 million 400 rubles by a district court for staging a rally on Independence Day on July 27, 2009. The leader of Haradok branch of the BPF party came to Lenin Square in the centre of the town, he had a white-red-white flag with him. Policemen detained him and three more Vitsebsk activists then.

Valery Ramanenka, Iryna Pyatrova and Taras Syrhan were fined 350,000 Br each. Leanid Autukhou’s fine was the largest.

For more than a year Leanid Autukhou is registered at the unemployment agency. Nobody wants to hire him knowing his political views. The oppositionist is convinced that a year and a half ago he was fired n political reasons as well. Autukhou lost his job in March 2007. He worked as an operator of sewage treatment works in Haradok, but a labour contract with him was not extended after he started to express his political views openly and took part in oppositional rallies.