Brest freelance journalist appealing fined of 60 basic units

Freelance journalist Alina Litvinchuk has filed an appeal to the the Brest Regional Court to challenge the verdict of the Leninski District Court of Brest which had punished her with a large fine.

At the hearing of June 3, the judge of Leninski District Court of Brest Dzmitry Shuryn found the journalist guilty of two violations of Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus, “illegal production and distribution of media products”, and sentenced her to a fine of 10.8 million rubles.

Alina Litvinchuk stated that she was unable to receive a copy of the minutes of the trial, though the judge had promised to issue it last week. According to the journalist, the copy of the minutes wasn't issued to her as the case against her had been actually fabricated and she insistent on including in the minutes all her complaints and motions.

In her appeal the freelance journalist reminds that the court of the first instance failed to answer the question as to why her right to collect and disseminate information was restricted, and ignored the relevant provisions of the Constitution and international agreements ratified by Belarus.

Let us remind that this year Brest courts have punished Alina Litvinchuk with fines for “illegal manufacture and distribution of media products” (in fact – for cooperation with Radio “Racyja”) four times.