Mikalai Dziadok Fined For “Freedom To Political Prisoners” Rally
- 6.03.2019, 16:10
Judge Viktoryja Shabunia has fined the activist almost $ 300.
Former political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok was taken to the Tsentalny district court of Minsk after lunch on March 6. He was accused of an administrative offense under Art. 23.34 of the Administrative Code – “participation in an unauthorized mass event,” for the rally at Kastrychnitskaya Square on February 26, the Viasna human rights center writes.
The case was considered by judge Viktoryja Shabunia. Riot police officer Edhar Kolasau was called as a witness. The second witness, policeman Prymak, was supposedly ill.
Mikalai Dziadok admits that he participated in the “Freedom To Political Prisoners” rally in Minsk on February 26, but doesn’t admit his guilt, as he considers the law “On Mass Events” repressive. He also believes that his actions were not of a violent nature, however, “so many policemen took part in his detention that it was even absurd.”
Witness Edhar Kolasau informs the court that they received information that the event had not coordinated with the Minsk City Executive Committee. He says that he did not stop the unlawful actions of the protesters, although he knew that by law he had to do it.
Mikalai Dziadok notes that police officers were capturing on video the event, there was not a single policeman dressed in uniform, and that he did not interfere with other citizens and passers-by. He considers his detention illegal.
In addition, it turned out that the report had been drawn up with violations.
As a result, the court considered Mikalai Dziadok’s guilt proven and fined the activist 25 basic units.
It is also known that two more protocols had been drawn up against the activist for the photos taken at the flash mob against the “law on extremism,” which he had posted on the network. The dates of the trials on these cases are still unknown.
We remind that Mikalai Dziadok was arrested in the morning of March 4, immediately after leaving the Frunzenski district court. Then he was accused of distributing information products included in the republican list of extremist materials, and fined 50 basic units.
He spent more than two days at the Center for the isolation of offenders in Akrestsin street.
On March 1, the rest of the “Freedom To Political Prisoners” rally participants were sentenced to large fines, and the organizer, Pavel Seviarynets, was sentenced to 10 days in jail.