Nina Bahinskaya: I Do Not Obey These Laws And This Government

The pensioner is not going to give her country cottage, distrained for compensation of the fines, to the government so easy.

On July 29, the activist Nina Bahinskaya was supposed to vacate the country cottage premises in Smalyavichy district, which were distrained earlier. The plot of land together with the living and farm facilities was offered for sale for 10,000 rubles. Nina Bahinskaya received an order to “vacate the premises” from the department of compulsory execution of Smalyavichy district.

The pensioner informed Radio Svaboda that she wasn’t going to do that and that she had already sent a protestation to the department of compulsory execution of Pershamaiski district of Minsk:

“I was to vacate the premises – a house and a barn, located on the territory of the garden community "Geolog" in Smalyavichy district – from my belongings. But the lawyers helped me to challenge the decision. I do not obey these laws and this government, which I consider illegitimate and be directed against people.”

Nina Bahinskaya was charged with fines which total amount is 7000 of denominated rubles for the street rallies that she had taken part in from the beginning of the year. And from the pension, which is about 250 rubles, the authorities take 50 rubles per month – towards the fines.

“The authorities has already seized a washing machine and a microwave oven as a repayment of the fines from the flat where I was registered. But we managed to prove in the court that the appliances belonged to my children, so they should be returned. Now they got down to my land plots,” – Nina Bahinskaya said.

The woman owns two country cottages. One of them has already been distrained and offered for sale for 10,000 rubles – in Smalyavichy district, the other has only been sequestrated by now – in Puhavichy district.

Despite the fact that the country cottages are sequestrated, Nina Bahinskaya often goes there to take care of the vegetable garden and the trees:

“I do not obey this government and do not recognize the legitimacy of its actions. Therefore, I continue to take care of the land plots, to grow apples. Even if the authorities mount there their locks, close the doors to me, I will continue coming there and harvesting my berries, pears and apples. I am not afraid of this regime and I urge others not to be afraid too. We should stop paying, stop obeying, stop working on this power. I realize that they can put me in a psychiatric hospital, as it has already happened to Slavamir Adamovich and Alesya Sadouskaya. But I am not afraid of this. It’s the authorities who are afraid of us. I have a fighting attitude. The more pressure they put on me, the more enthusiasm for resistance I have.”

Nina Bahinskaya was born in 1946. She is a constant participant of street protests in Minsk, which she always attends holding a white-red-white flag.