Selective justice

On November 18 judge of Homel regional court Vasil Byahun reversed the sentence to the head of Zhlobin regional branch of the Belarusian Communist Party of Belarus Valery Rybchanka who had been fined 700,000 BYR.

As informed by Radio Svaboda, the administrative case against Valery Rybchanka was sent for a new consideration to the court of Chyhunachny district of Homel.

We remind that on October 19 Rybchanka was convicted by judge of Chyhunachny district Illya Svirydau for an intention to participate in the memorial rally dedicated to the 10th anniversary of disappearance of Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski. Rybchanka was going down Palesskaya Street making pictures of riot policemen seizing democratic activists preventing them from moving towards the centre of the city. It was a preventive arrest.

Policemen charged activists including Rybchanka with unsanctioned demonstration. They allegedly marched in a column carrying Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski portraits.

Rybchanka couldn’t hold any portraits, as he was busy making pictures. The regional court found a number of irregularities in judicial proceedings when issuing the verdict to Valery Rybchanka.

Judges of Chyhunachny district Vital Kozyrau, Illya Svirydau and Yaraslau Paremski fined 15 opposition activists for a sum of 16 mln 100 thousand BYR for an unsanctioned rally which hadn’t taken place in reality.