Mahiliou Region Court upholds verdicts to participants of solidarity pickets
As said by lawyer Barys Bukhel, the Mahiliou Region Court
left standing the verdicts of the Leninski District Court of Mahiliou.
As stated by lawyer Barys Bukhel, the previous decision of the Leninski
District Court of Mahiliou was left standing by the Mahiliou Region Court. Earlier, on 8
February, Valiantsin Labachou had been sentenced to 7 days of arrest, Siarhei
Niahatsin – to 5 days of arrest, and Natallia Shkadun (mother of many children)
had been issued with an official warning.
The violation reports that served as the formal ground for their punishment
were composed after the 10-minute picket of solidarity they held on 16 January.
According to Barys Bukhel, the form of the punishment and even the initiation
of the case became a precedent. For instance, the police officer who attended the
16 January picket didn’t tell its participants to disperse. Police just took
photos.
Even later, when participants of the action were found and drawn to
administrative responsibility, police witnesses stated that they hadn’t
violated the public order.
"In our opinion, the Mahiliou police used a new
tactics towards the picketers. They didn’t ask the people to disperse, just
took photos and went away. There was no insubordination to the police, because there
were no demands on their part,’ says Mr. Bukhel. ‘Thus, one can compose a
violation report on any person standing with someone’s portrait at a bus stop,’
he adds.
By the way, the fourth participant of the picket, student of the Mahiliou State
University Maksim Antsypovich, was tried as late as 3 March and sentenced to a
fine of 525,000 rubles (about $175). On 10 March he filed an appeal with the Mahiliou Region Court
as well. According to the law, the court has one month for its consideration.
