Alena Kavalenka fined for three million roubles (Video)

The Viciebsk activist was fined for a rally against participation in municipal “elections” that took place on 22 March.

The proceeding in Piershamajski district court lasted for less than half hour, Radio Svaboda reports.

According to a human rights activist Paviel Levinau, who was present in court, Alena Kavalenka refused to give any explanations:

“Alena said that at the rally she expressed her civic position. By this she used her constitutional right for public expression of opinions. This is why she believes that this is pointless to ask authorities for permission for such actions. However the judge did not accept such arguments and announced the verdict: to fine Alena Kavalenka for participation in an non-authorized mass event for 20 basic units, which accounts for 3 million roubles”.

Alena Kavalenka’s trial was led by the judge of Piershmajski district court Natalia Karablina, who sentenced another participant of the same event, a CChP BPF member Jan Dziarzhaucau. Dziarzhaucau was sentenced to a 7-day arrest, since he was found the event’s organizer, in addition to which, according to police data, he committed already a second violation this year.

On 22 March Jan Dziarzhaucau and Alena Kavalenka came to the building of the school number 46, where a polling station was located, holding a banner that said ‘Boycott to the electoral farce’. Then Jan Dziarzhaucau tore apart invitations to the “elections”, since he believed that there was no free expression of will for citizens in Belarus. A CChP BPF member Siarhiej Kavalenka, the husband of Alena Kavalenka, filmed the event and posted the video on the internet.