Trial against Lohvinau bookshop adjourned until January 9

The trial against Lohvinau bookshop was adjourned until Friday.

The hearing began in the Economic Court of Minsk at 15:00 on Monday, Nasha Niva reports.

The trial, at which the tax service brought claims against the shop owner Ihar Lohvinau, lasted 50 minutes. It took place in the office of judge Siarhei Kulakouski, so only few people could attend it. About 30 people, among them famous writer Uladzimir Arlou and translator Liavon Barshcheuski, came to support the bookstore owner.

The court heard an administrative case over illegal business activity in Lohvinau bookstore. According to Ihar Lohvinau, a possible punishment is a fine of 500 penalty units (90 million rubles) with or without the confiscation of the proceeds of crime or with depriving him of the right to be engaged in certain kinds of business.

The iconic intellectual address of the Belarusian capital turned to be in danger of disappearance in December 2014. Unscheduled tax audit came in the shop Lohvinau earlier last month. They have put seals on the room and seized documents for verification. After the inspection the bookshop has been unsealed. But it has been 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 by action.

Shop owner Ihar Lohvinau said that for the year he had applied eight times to the Ministry of Information for the license. And every time he got a refusal. One of the refusals was connected with an incorrect postal code.