Pensioner Fined for Hanging White-Red-White Flag on Her Balcony :: Charter'97 :: News

Former employee of the closed Grodno newspaper “Pagonya” pensioner Irina Salei was fined 10thsd Belarusian rubles for hanging on her balcony a white-red-white flag. The administrative commission of the Leninsky district of Grodno found Salei guilty of violating article 143/3 of the Administrative code, which envisages penalties for “hanging on balconies linen and other things, which spoil the exterior look of the buildings”.

BelaPAN reports that the former employee of “Pagonya” put a flag on her balcony on March 25 this year, on the Freedom Day eve. 10 days afterwards the district sheriff filed an administrative protocol against her. However, Irina Salei learnt about the fine not until last week, when she received 10thsd less rubles as pension than usually. The woman was told that the money went to cover the fine. As far as the administrative commission considered the protocol and ruled to fine the woman in her absence, on December 17 the pensioner appealed against this arbitrary decision in the regional procuracy.