Brest: ten more participants of 29 June silent protest get fined
On 4 July the Leninski District Court of Brest
sentenced to fines ten more participants of the silent protest action held in
Brest on 29 June. All of them were charged under Article 23.34 of the Code of
Administrative Offenses, “participation in unauthorized mass event”.
According to human rights defender Raman Kisliak, two of them pleaded guilty
and told they were ready to pay the fines. One of them, whose trial was
attended by Mr. Kisliak, was fined 175,000 rubles. Those who pleaded innocent
were fined 350,000 – 420,000 rubles.
Raman Kisliak believes that the court violated the law in the case of the man
who pleaded guilty and told he was ready to pay a fine. As Article 23.34, part
1 doesn’t specify the lower limit of the fine, he was to have been sentenced to
a minimal fine, 17,500 rubles.