A 600,000 Br Fine to UCP Activist :: Charter'97 :: News

Today an activist of the United Civil Party Vital Hulyak was fined by Vaukavysk court 600,000 Br. He is punished for participation in an unsanctioned picket during the repeated congress of the Union of Poles in Belarus.

Three policemen were invited to the court as witnesses. They stated that Vital Hulyak himself said that party members were holding a picket protesting against carrying out a repeated congress of the Union of Poles in Belarus. As Radio Svaboda was informed by the head of Hrodna branch of the UCP Yury Istomin, who visited Vaukavysk, the videotape with the events was not watched in the court.

On August 27, when participants of the repeated congress of the UPB were taken to Vaukavysk House of Culture, some citizens, journalists and activists of the UPB from Hrodna, who were not let in, gathered in the street. They all were attracted by the event organized on order and with support of the authorities. Justice Ministry invalidated the results of the 6th congress of the UPB, which had taken place in Hrodna in March, and where Andzelika Borys was elected the chairperson of this organization. In Vaukavysk the name of the only candidate, 69-year-old Jozef Lucznik, was entered in the voting papers, and delegates voted for him.

Policemen have drawn up a report against the head of Vaukavysk branch of the United Civil Party Alyaksandr Baradaukin. He is also charged with participation in the unsanctioned picket.