Biaroza authorities dismantle private house without waiting for the end of court proceedings

The review appeal is pending at the Chair of the Brest Regional Court. The owner, Aksana Yakushyk, has documents for the house and the lifelong ownership of the plot of land.

Aksana Yakushyk cites paragraph 16 of the Presidential Decree No. 58, providing that “Judicial eviction of a citizen and members of his family from the owned house which is to be dismantled and located on the plot of land which would be taken away from them, as well as the dismantlement of the house, buildings and trees near it can be conducted only after the registration of the owner right of the citizen to the property, provided to him instead of the demolished property or receipt by the citizen of a monetary compensation for the dismantled property". However, none of these conditions have been implemented. The court hearings continue and no one had the legal right to dismantle the buildings in the meantime.

According to Aksana the family of Yakushyks bought some old house in the city centre together with a 17-acre plot of land to build a new house there. They would have done it, if the main finance official and the head of the collective farm “Borki” hadn't built their houses near them. These officials didn't have a convenient drive-out to the road, as the Yakushyk's house was on the way. The family was proposed a small sum of money to leave their plot of land, but didn't agree to it. During the trial, the cost of the mansion increased to $17,000. However, according to Aksana one could by only a house in a village for this sum.

She draws attention to the fact that at court the eviction of the Yakushyks was explained by the construction of a block of 60 flats. However, the judges ignored the fact that 17 acres are not enough for it, and people live on the neighbouring plots of land too.