Court “price list”: million rubles for “STOP dictatorship!”

Judge Natallya Dzeravyanka from the Polatsk city court admitted youth activists Mikola Dzyamidzenka, Ales Krutkin, Syarhei Karalyonak and Katsyaryna Salauyova participants of an unauthorised action and sentenced them to huge fines on 12 June.

Before the trial the Polatsk Young Front activists spent the night in custody in a pretrial detention center, and judge Natallya Dzeravyanka found them guilty on part 3 of article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences. Mikola Dzyamidzenka, Ales Krutkin, Syarhei Karalyonak and Katsyaryna Salauyova are fined of 30 basic units, or one million 50 thousand rubles each.

According to Katsyaryna Salauyova, none of the accused denied they had held a public action to demonstrate their willingness to live in a democratic country. They entered the building of the Polatsk city executive committee carrying a banner “Stop dictatorship!” but were detained by militia after 5 minutes.

“All of us said: “Yes, we were staying with a banner. But we didn’t disturb public order, didn’t shout slogans – we just spoke up against the policy in our country.” The fact we were detained proves there is dictatorial regime in the country,” Katsyaryna Salauyova says.

According to her, trials were even shorter than a 5-minute action- having invited each in her cabinet, judge Natallya Dzeravyanka delivered a judgement after two minutes.

Trial over Ales Krutkin lasted a little bit longer: the boy asked the trial to be conducted in Belarusian. The judge took a recess and after an hour continued the trial in Belarusian. As the people presented noticed, it was rather difficult for her.

One more participant of the action is in hospital now: Dzyanis Khaberau felt seedy and had a heartache after the detention, so, he was taken to hospital from a militia department. He is to have a trial later. Dzyanis Khaberau is the only form the detained, who participated in a street action for the first time. The rest were repeatedly detained and fined for similar actions.