Baranavichy: executive committee involved as co-defendant in Milavidy Festival case

The court of the district and the city of Baranavichy opened today the hearing of a claim lodged by an activist of the Movement "For Freedom" Viktar Syrytsa to challenge the actions of the official newspaper of the district executive committee “Nash Krai” ("Our Land"). The lawsuit was considered by Judge Volha Apanovich, which granted Viktar Syrytsa’s motion to administer the trial in the Belarusian language.

Viktar Syrytsa is suing the local pro-government newspaper, after it published on 30 May information on a cultural event in honor of the 1863 uprising to be held at the Milavidy monuments on June 2. The activist then ordered and organized a bus trip to the announced Festival. However, there was no one on 2 June at Milavidy monuments.

Viktar Syrytsa insists that the court ordered the newspaper "Our Land" to apologize to its readers for deceiving the citizens of the city and district of Baranavichy, to recover from the newspaper the rent of the bus at the rate of 2,300,000 rubles and return legal costs.

The defendant, the chief editor of "Our Land" Mikhail Shubich, said that the newspaper was not responsible for the content of advertisements and rejected all the demands.

As a result, the Judge ruled to postpone the hearing for August 9 and to involve Baranavichy executive committee as a co-defendant in the civil case.