Freelance journalist in Brest appeals court ruling

Alina Litvinchuk, a freelance journalist in Brest, is outraged by the fact that she only learned about the charges brought against her and a court decision (a fine of 40 basic units) from the judgment, which he received by mail.

According to the judgment, on January 8 Alina Litvinchuk interviewed without accreditation the Chairperson of the Brest regional branch of the Belarusian Peace Fund Lidziya Ramaniuk for a report for Radio Racyja, thus violating the Law “On Mass Media” and committing “illegal production of media products”. As a result, Judge Aliaksandr Semianchuk found the journalist guilty of an administrative offense and punished her by a fine of 40 basic units (7.2 million rubles).

According to Alina Litvinchuk, she was not notified of the administrative charges or of the proceedings, and the decision was mailed to her.

“I believe that in this way there is a gross violation of the Belarusian legislation and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was ratified Belarus. In addition, I was deprived of the opportunity to defend myself in court,” said the journalist. She also said that in addition to an appeal to the Brest Regional Court, she prepared a separate petition to the Chairman of the Leninski District Court of Brest to highlight procedural irregularities in the proceedings.

This is the second trial Alina Litvinchuk has stood this year for her work as journalist. On January 13, she was convicted of “illicit manufacture and distribution of information” under Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code and fined 30 basic units.