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Independent journalist from Mahilyou to ask protection from UN

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Independent journalist from Mahilyou to ask protection from UN
ALYAKSANDR BURAKOU
PHOTO: SPRING96.ORG

The Supreme Court of Belarus has not found any breach in holding Alyaksandr Burakou administratively liable.

The journalist was charged with illegal production of mass media products, BelaPAN reminds.

On September 16, 2014 7 policemen searched the flat of the journalist. They seized two notebooks, owned by the wife of Alyaksandr Burakou. The search was also held in the flat of Burakou’s parents, where policemen seized 2 computer system units. It was written in the search warrant that Burakou had contributed to the website of Deutsche Welle without accreditation. Later Burakou was charged with the fact that his article “Paths of smuggler: Do Russian sanctions work in near-border regions?” was published on the website of the radio station. According to law enforcers, it is a violation of Article 22.0 Part 2 of the Administrative Code (illegal production of media products).

On October 8 the judge of Leninski district of Mahilyou Alena Voukava fined Burakou Br6 million, as he was found guilty of the violation. On November 20 the judge of Mahilyou regional court Mikhail Melnikau didn’t allow the claim of Burakou. On March 10, 2015 the head of the regional court Ihar Prashko didn’t find violations in the actions of his subordinates in the case of Burakou, and also dismissed his complaint. On March 30 the journalist addressed the Supreme Court.

“As a private person you have been engaged in collection and preparation (creation) of informational report (material) on the territory of Belarus, it was distributed via Internet, that is in fact you have been engaged in professional activities of a journalist who produces mass media products for a foreign mass media outlet,” the answer to Burakou, signed by the chairman of the Supreme Court Ruslan Aniskevich on May 14, reads.

It is also noted that Burakou is not accredited in Belarus as a correspondent of any foreign mass media, according to information from the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Thus, the arguments of the journalist that there had been no crime in his actions, and that his right for dissemination of information had been violated, were rejected.

“No procedural faults which could overturn the court ruling, have been made. There are no grounds for annulling the ruling,” Aniskevich noted.

Burakou is not satisfied with the decision of the Supreme Court and intends to file a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC). “All stages of defending my right in Belarus have been passed in the framework of a strategic lawsuit. From the very beginning I targeted the UNHCR,” he said.

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