Pensioner Fined For Pickets Against “Iniquity In Courts”

The court fined a pensioner from Baranavichy for 50 base fees for participation in two pickets “against iniquity in courts and public prosecution”.

After the first court had punished Liubou Sankevich with a 20 base fees fine, the lady got another fine of Tuesday, this time for 30 base fees. She was fined for having come out to the Freedom Square in Minsk with a poster on March 31, Solidarity writes.

— Judge Natallia Vaitsekhovich totally ignored the presented proofs, confirming that Liubou Sankevich had filed an application to Minsk city executive committee beforehand, and got a formal reply with no explanations,” — lawyer Tamara Siarhei has commented upon the situation. According to her, the court fined the pensioner for 30 base fees while all the other participants of the same actions were fined for 20 base fees.

— She was ill, and addressed to the court many times, informing she could not attend the trial due to poor health, — the interlocutor has told. — I believe the judge gave her a 10 base bigger fine out of the feeling of spite and to take revenge on her. This is the way our state tries to force its citizens to give up their rights basing on the principle “they beat us not letting us cry”. This is how the force structures break the people’s rights, depriving them of an opportunity to come up and speak about their problems publicly, the HR defender underlines:

— This is a huge sum of money for a pensioner. Liubou Mikhailauna has told me that as soon as they start deducting this fine from her pension, she will come to Minsk and stand near Lukashenka’s residence, hat in hand, so that the officials would chip in together to help her pay the fine.”

Tamara Siarhei is convinced that the authorities will not intimidate the participants of the group “Against Iniquity in Courts and Public Prosecution”.

— They will not intimidate us — I feel it in the people’s moods. Moreover, we realized it for sure that it is necessary to take some action, as the situation in our court system is getting worse, not better,” — she has added.