Ihar Lohvinau: It's nightmare. How can one forbid selling books?

The Ministry of Information tries to oust a Belarusian publisher.

The trial against Lohvinau bookshop has ended. The Economic Court of Minsk ruled to recover around 1 billion rubles from the publishing house and issued a fine of 5.6 million rubles for selling books without a special permission of the Ministry of Information, which the publisher failed to obtain.

“It's a nightmare. How can one forbid selling books? In what country is it possible?” Ihar Lohvinau told charter97.org.

– What is the real reason for the prosecution of Lohvinau publishing house?

– I think it is an old conflict. It has been continuing for a long time... Our licence was revoked, and we met with the Ministry of Information in court. We lost the case, but a wide campaign against them was launched and we received international support. The Ministry of Information adopted a new law, under which one can sell books only with the ministry's permission. This absurd has been continuing...

– But you have applied for the permission several times.

– Yes, we have applied six times. But we failed to get it.

– What are you going to do now?

– We are killed emotionally, but we'll consult with a lawyer about our further actions. Our judicial system has many traps.

– Do you plan to appeal against the court decision?

– I think so. This is what our lawyer proposes. We must go to the end.

– Can people still buy your books?

– They can. We re-registrered the bookshop. It is now a new legal entity. The bookshop works, but future of the old legal entity is in question.

– Why don't the authorities like you?

– I don't know... I think they just don't like everything that differs from them. Everything free and happy... They dislike it so much.

The iconic intellectual address of the Belarusian capital turned to be in danger of disappearance in December 2014. An unscheduled tax audit came to Lohvinau bookshop in early December. They put seals on the room and seized documents for verification. After the inspection the bookshop was unsealed. But it was severely punished for working without the license of the Ministry of Information. On results of the audit held the bookshop is fined nearly Br1 billion, that has been the income from book sales for the year. This money will be recovered through court.

Photo: Radio Svaboda