Belarusian Activist Ratted On By Her Neighbor Fined Br 6,3 mln.

The woman was fined for her participation in the rally of sole traders on Kastrychnitskaya Square.

Judge of the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk Viktorya Shabunya fined Minsk citizen Halina Lahatskaya 30 basic units (Br 6.3 mln), Radio Svaboda reports. The court found her guilty of participating in an unauthorized rally of sole traders which was held on Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk on February 22.

The case of Lohatskaya gained resonance after it was revealed that it was her neighbor who had filed a report against her. Valery Milevich asked to prosecute Lahatskaya for participating in an unsanctioned rally. The neighbor saw photo of Halina Lahatskaya posted in Internet. She was holding a placard “Sole traders are honest, the regime is bandit-like”. The man felt offended.

“No comments”, – Milevich answered a journalist when asked if his actions could be explained by revenge.

Halina Lahatskaya believes that her neighbor reported on her because of the conflict over space for carriages on the stairwell of the apartment building where he lives. Miljevic did not come to the court.

Halina Lahatskaya admitted in the court that she had deliberately came to Kastrychnitskaya Square to express her solidarity with the sole traders.

Witness Leanid Kulakou told in the court that it was him who had made a placard “Sole traders are honest, the regime is bandit-like”, and that he was holding it himself during the rally. According to the witness, he had handed poster over to Lahatskaya only for the short time when he had left the square. "If you want to punish someone for this placard, then punish me", - Leanid Kulakou suggested to the court.

The lawyer asked the court to take into account that her defendant Lahatskaya had no income, since she wasn’t receiving pension and was dependent on the relatives.

Judge Viktorya Shabunya found Halina Lahatskaya guilty and fined her Br 6.3 million. Halina Lahatskaya is going to appeal against the court decision.