Homel Region Court upholds fining Uladzimir Siakerka for insubordination to border guards
On 7 December the Homel Region Court considered an appeal against
the verdict of the Chyhunachny District Court of Homel, according to
which the head of the regional organization of the Belarusian Leftist
Party “Fair World” Uladzimir Siakerka was fined 2 million rubles
under Article 23.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses,
“insubordination to legal demands of public agents”.
The
case against Mr. Siakerka was brought after he refused to leave the
train Chernihiv-Homel on demand of the border guards on 14 October.
As a result, the train departure was delayed. Uladzimir Siakerka
pleads innocent as according to Article 17 of the Law “On Border
Guard Service” officers of the border guard must explain the
reasons for restriction of rights of the citizens.
“I asked
to explain me the reasons, but nobody did it. In their report it was
written as follows: “There was discovered a citizen whose surname
was in the list on errand of the law machinery”. At the trial, I
asked to explain what were these lists, who put me there and how I
could leave them. Nobody answered. Before the trial, I filed a
complaint to the administration of the border guard brigade, asking
the same questions, and again received no answers,” says Mr.
Siakerka.
The regional court dismissed the solicitations of
the oppositionist, who asked to attach to his case a video recording
of the incident on the border and question some witnesses. The judge
Aliaksei Shamekhin explained it by saying that these solicitations
were to have been filed during the first trial. “How could I make
such solicitations at the district court, if I didn't even know what
for I was summonsed there and studied the case materials only during
the trial,” wonders Uladzimir Askerka.
The politician
intends to appeal the verdict of the regional court at the Supreme
Court and proceed to the UN Human Rights Committee if necessary.
By
the way, a “Fair World” member Ilona Tkachova faced problems on
the border too. On 6 December her family was detained on the border
without any explanations for seven hours. Their car was searched, a
laptop and a photo camera were confiscated.