Trial over Belarus Press Photo: All defence motions denied

A court ruling on the “extremist” photos is expected on April 18.

The trial over the album Belarus Press Photo has began in Ashmyany today. Yulia Darashkevich, Vadzim Zamirouski and Aliaksandr Vasiukevich, who had some tens of photo albums seized, attended the trial. Journalists and human rights defenders also came to the court. Natallia Skurat represented the Hrodna department of the KGB.

Lawyer Larysa Atamanchuk said she had filed a motion to summon all jury members of the Belarus Press Photo contest to the court, Radio Svaboda reports. Representatives of the defence asked to allow human rights activist Harry Pahanyaila and BAJ representative Andrei Bastunets to take part in the court hearing. Judge Aliaksandr Davydau denied all motions.

A KGB representative read her speech written on a sheet of paper stumbling over some words and confirmed the request to declare the album extremist, Euroradio reports. Answering the lawyer's question on who summoned the expert commission, she said it was the ideological department of the Hrodna regional executive committee. The KGB sent them a letter asking for assistance. “These materials reflect the life activity of the people of Belarus in a negative manner,” KGB representative Natallia Skurat said at the trial.

A representative of the expert commission, Pavel Skrabko, was summoned to answer question from the lawyer.

“I have three university degrees. The first one in metalworking, the second one in history and the last one in ideology. The composition of the commission was approved by a university. It consisted of art experts, psychologists and lawyers,” the ideologist said. He failed to answer the lawyer's questions about education of Aliaksandr Bondar, one of the experts. He only said Bondar worked at the university of Hrodna. The ideologist confirmed he approved the composition of the commission. “They were selected, let say so, voluntary. I know Khiliuta personally. Some people were proposed by my colleagues. I didn't inform the experts about their rights and duties,” the ideologist said.

Photographers Yulia Darashkevich, Vadzim Zamirouski and Aliaksandr Vaiukevich gave their evidence.

“I'd like to stress that materials of the album are our whim. It is the result of the work of the international jury that is more qualified than members of the expert commission, who assessed the album. Under the contest rules, authors' interference with events and staged photos were forbidden,” Vadzim Zamirouski said.