TUT.BY chief editor's trial. Day 4

In the Zavadski District Court of Minsk continues the criminal trial of Maryna Zolatava, TUT.BY chief editor, who is accused of omission of an executive. On February 15, the court continued interviewing the TUT.BY staff: Hanna Rudenka, Halina Ulasik, and Hanna Kaltyhina.

The first witness — TUT.by editor Hanna Rudenka.

Rudenko confirmed that she had accessed the BetTA paid subscription. She couldn't remember who had given her the login details.

The prosecutor asked Rudenka what the purpose of her accessing the subscription was.

"I did it to obtain information. It was not in my job description; it was my personal decision. The chief editor was not aware of my using the password."

The next witness — TUT.BY editor Halina Ulasik.

"I was detained on August 7 at 6 am. I was told that I was a witness and needed to come for questioning to the Investigative Committee. I didn't deny using the paid subscription. Then I was told to say that I had done it on the instruction of the management. I replied that I've never discussed this with Maryna Zolatava. Then I was told that if I didn't engage with the investigation, I would become a suspect in the case and I was taken to the temporary detention facility. I was released on August 9."

The charges against Halina Ulasik included at least 37 logins to the BelTA paid subscription. She drew the court's attention to the fact that most logins were from her home computer.

According to the case files, the investigator motivated the refusal to drop the criminal prosecution of Maryna Zolatava with the fact that she hadn't fully admitted her guilt.

TUT.BY editor Hanna Kaltyhina did not deny that she had accessed the BelTA paid subscription using the username and password of the newspaper Respublika. Kaltyhina said that before the interrogation she had been told, "Be so kind as to inform us how your management, in particular, Maryna Zolatava, instructed you to use the paid subscription."

"Then I wrote two statements: that my superiors have never given me any guidance on this issue; and that I used the login details," stated Kaltyhina.

All the witnesses paid huge damages to BelTA and Respublika newspaper.

The court adjourned until February 18.