Independent website vrogacheve.ru changes the coat of arms to escape persecution
The coat of arms of the town of
Rahachou (a yellow horn against yellow background) at vrogacheve.ru
was replaced with a temporary symbol – four people holding a red
rose.
"During the last year our website has regularly
faced pressure from the side of the local authorities," says the
civil activist Dzianis Dashkevich. "I was sentenced to a number
of fines for a total of 10 million rubles, also as a consequence of
publications at the website". In particular, the activist was
fined for reprinting police information from the website of the
district state-owned newspaper "Svabodnaye Slova". "That's
why we decided to keep on a safe side," adds the activist.
"At
present, we are working out a new emblem. It will also be the coat of
arms of Rahachou, but the horn will be blue, and the background will
be golden," says Mr. Dashkevich.
Bear in mind that
recently Dzianis Dashkevich has received a letter from the local
administration, in which it was stated that the website vrogacheve.ru
was pohibited to use the coat of arms of Rahachou without an official
permission of the Rahachou District Executive Committee. The document
was signed by the deputy head of the Rahachou District Executive
Committee Vasil Karalchuk. The official warned Mr. Dashkevich that
the site owners would be punished in case the coat of arms was not
removed from it.
