Court dismisses Lohvinau's claim against Ministry of Information

The Supreme Economic Court of Belarus has dismissed the claim of publisher Ihar Lohvinau against the Ministry of Information.

The court decision was taken by judge Tatsiana Pratashchyk, BelaPAN news agency reports.

Owner of the private publishing company Lohvinau asks to declare invalid the order by the Ministry of Information on revoking the company's licence. The reason for revoking the licence was publishing the album Belarus Press Photo 2011, which was found extremist by a court in the Ashmiany district in April 2013.

Witnesses for the plaintiff – writer Uladzimir Arlou, philosopher Ihar Babkou and photographer Yulia Darashkevich – gave their evidence today.

They said continuation of the activity of the publishing company Lohvinau was important for the Belarusian culture. Uladzimir Arlou said the trial wasn't “an ordinary thing, because it will decide the fate of the reputable publishing company known both in Belarus and abroad”.

Yulia Darashkevich turned attention to the fact that the album Belarus Press Photo 2011, which was found extremist by the court of the Ashmiany district in April 2013, had been taken into Belarus on legal grounds and the customs service had had no complaints about it. It was distributed through the bookshop network and sold out.

Andrei Bastunets from the organisation Belarusian Association of Journalists, who represented Lohvinau's interests tried to figure out if the decision of the Ministry of Information to revoke the licence was taken in fear that the private publishing company can compete with the publishing companies subordinate to the ministry.

Representatives of the defendant dismissed the arguments of the plaintiff. They said the legislation didn't limit the period when a decision could be taken: “We made this decision as soon as we received the ruling of the Ashmiany district court.”

It's worth noting that people were required to show their IDs to enter the courtroom. Journalists were ordered to leave cameras and video equipment in the cloakroom. Judge Pratashchyk checked the passports of the people allowed to visit the trial and asked whom they represented.

Independent publishing company Lohvinau was founded in 2000. It publishes contemporary Belarusian literature, scientific literature in humanities, translations into Russian and Belarusian.