Procuracy warns entrepreneur for ‘biased commentaries’
On 13 May Viktar Chaikouski, Chairperson of the Brest branch of the Republican civil association Perspective, received an official warning from the Brest Region Procuracy.
He read the text of the warning for the European Radio in Belarus: ‘The Brest Region Procuracy considered the materials that were received from the Brest Region KGB Bureau and concern the civil activities conducted by You. As it follows from the presented materials, You, being Deputy Chairperson of the Republican civil association Perspective and a member of the Free Trade Union of Belarus, give biased commentaries about the situation in the Republic of Belarus for mass media, including foreign media and internet resources racyja.by, perspektiva.org, charter.97.org, svaboda.by and zapraudu.info.’
Then the entrepreneur is informed that such activities could result in discredit of the Republic of Belarus and its governing organs, which falls under Article 369, part 2 of the Criminal Code. The warning is signed by senior prosecutor Sachko.
Mr. Chaikouski disagrees with the opinion of the procuracy. ‘Any Belarusian entrepreneur can confirm my words. The fines are incommensurable, ranging from 700,000 to 1,750,000 mln rubles. Redundancy is everywhere, factories don’t work. For instance, the carpet combine and the plant of metalware don’t work in full force. There are more than a million guest workers from Belarus working in Russia, Poland and everywhere else,’ he says.
