Police Refuse to Return Office Equipment of “Zgoda” Editorial Office :: Charter'97 :: News

The Prosecutor’s Office of Partyzanski district has not given back two out of the four computers belonging to the editorial office of the independent newspaper “Zgoda” Office equipment was seized on March 24 this year. The computers have not been returned despite of the fact that the journalists were sentenced to large fines, and that all information from the computers had been extracted and added to the materials of the check.

On September 23 the court of Partyzanski district ruled to fine the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Alyaksei Karol’ and the editor Alyaksandr Zdvizhkou for a sum equal to 100 basic units (2,550,000 Br, or about USD 1,200) each. The journalists were found guilty of violation of the article 172-1 Part 10 of the Administrative Code (dissemination of false facts insulting honour and dignity of the president of Belarus by mass media).

The Prosecutor’s Office of Partyzanski district has not returned two (the most new) out of four computers confiscated on March 24. The computers have not been returned despite of the fact that the journalists were sentenced to large fines, and that all information from the computers had been extracted and added to the materials of the check. The investigator of the Prosecutor’s office of Partyzanski district Y.P. Filimontsau had a phone talk with A.Karol. Answering demands to inform about the computers’ whereabouts, the investigator said that they are in KGB. Why and on what grounds? According to which law? The questions are rhetorical ones.