Court Fined Homel Journalist $260

Freelance journalist Larysa Schyrakova was accused of working “without accreditation.”

On April 5, judge Tamara Zastaunetskaya (the court of Homel district) delivered the judgement to punish freelance journalist Larysa Schyrakova by a fine of 25 basic units. She was accused of violating Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code (illegal manufacturing of media products, work without accreditation for foreign media).

Larysa Schyrakova made a video “Barysau Tragedy Could Be Repeated In Homel” and posted it on her page on Youtube and on the regional news site ”Smart News.” The story dealt with the problems of Balshavik residents (Homel region) – they complained of a strong smell of gas, but government offices did not hear them, until they watched the video on the Internet. Gas service and officers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations eliminated the problem.

The police also decided that the item was the property of Belsat TV channel, though they did not explain what the basis for such a conclusion was. On April 5, Larysa Schyrakova filed a petition to invite the officers of the Directorate of Internal Affairs, who had drawn up the report and noted that the video item was the property of Belsat, and let them explain such conclusions. But the judge rejected the request.

Then the journalist impugned credibility of the judge. But this was not taken into account, Tamara Zastaunetskaya continued to consider the case.

Having listened to the freelancer, she on the spot delivered the judgement to find the journalist guilty and to punish her by a fine, even without going out into the chambers.

In 2016 five protocols were drawn up against Larysa Schyrakova under Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code. Two protocols were considered by the courts of Savietski and Svetlahorsk districts of Homel, and the administrative cases on them were terminated. The court is of Homel region fined Larysa Schyrakova for the second time starting this year. She is also facing the trial in Lelchytsa district for making a video about folk rituals in the village of Novae Palesse.

“It seems that the judicial decisions are not based on the law, but on some trends, orders from above and other institutions, and depend on who the country is asking money for – the IMF or Russia, whether the state is negotiating with the European structures, whether the relations are warming up now or cooling down. I do not think the appeal will bear fruit, but this should be done to demonstrate the systematic persecution of freelancers, interference with the work of journalists in Belarus, the lack of freedom of speech,“ – the freelancer commented to the spring96.org site.