Mahilyou activist charged with illegal dissemination of newspapers

The leader of local Social Democrats in Mahilyou Ihar Barysau is to stand trial. He is charged with dissemination of mass media.

The activist does not plead guilty.

As informed by Ihar Barysau to BelaPAN, on July 16 overnight he and the former presidential candidate in Belarus Ryhor Kastusyou were transporting informational bulletins (small newspapers) “Social Democrat” and “Nash Mahilyou” in their car.

“On the road Minsk-Mahilyou not far from the village of Suamrokava, Mahilyou district, a traffic police roadblock stopped us, though we had not violated any traffic rules. The inspector said that they suspected our car had been used in hooliganism activities in Byalynichy,” Barysau said.

As said by him, at about 00.30 a.m. they were taken to the police department of Mahilyou, where the car was searched, and 11,800 items of the newspaper were seized. On July 23 Barysau was summoned to the police department, where a report was drawn up against him for committing a violation, illegal distribution of mass media.

“I can call these charges stupidity. I didn’t disseminate printed materials, I was transporting them in a car. It was transportation,” the Social Democrat from Mahilyou said.

According to him, the authorities have started preparation to another election campaign, the presidential election, which is scheduled for 2015.

“Different services are used in the run-up to the election. The same happened in 2012, when an activist of the Free Trade Union of Belarus Yury Novikau was detained. He was charged with the same violation and fined,” Barysau said. He faces a fine from 20 to 50 basic units. The court is supposedly to take place in a week.