Homel: Valery Sliapukhin fined a large sum of money
Valery's friends kept their duty at the entrance of
the Chyhunachny District Court of Homel since morning on 11 October. The
defendant was taken to the court only at 1 p.m. Judge Illia Svirydau didn't let
some of the activists in the court hall, as they had to look for the room where
the trial was taking place and were a bit late. As a result, political activist
Kanstantsin Zhukouski filed a complaint concerning the actions of the judge and
the situation when people have to look for the place of the trial.
Before the beginning of the trial Mr. Sliapukhin for being provided with
advocatory services. The judge postponed the trial, but didn't tell the time.
That's why the people who came to support Valery Sliapukhin continued their
duty. Vasil Paliakou, chairman of the Homel branch of the United Civil Party,
came to the court and proposed his participation in the trial as a public
representative of Sliapukhin's interests. However, when the trial continued,
the judge dismissed this motion.
Police major Koshman, chairman of the public order and prophylaxis section of
the Chyhunachny District Police Department, testified against Sliapukhin. He
said that the activist organized and held and unauthorized rally and called
people to take part in another one, appointed on 12 November. Koshman said that
he had found about it from a video trailer and news at informational websites.
Mr. Sliapukhin, in his turn, pleaded innocent, as the event was organized not
as a mass event, but as a local assembly, and therefore didn't fell under provisions
of the Law “On Mass Events”. Nevertheless, the judge sentenced him to pay a
fine of 1,4 million rubles.
Bear in mind that on 10 October Valery Sliapukhin had been detained by the
police and charged with violation of Article 23.34 of the Code of
Administrative Offenses, “violation of the order of organizing and holding mass
events”. He was the only person who took the floor at the People's Assembly on
8 October.
