Fined oppositionist to go to street tomorrow again

Barys Khamajda, an activist from Vitsebsk, has been fined three basic units for blocking the main street of the city, as police believes.

As we have informed, on June 3 the administrative commission of Chyhunachny district considered the report drawn up by policemen for violation of the article 21.14 of the Administrative Code of Belarus on May 7. He was charged with violation of the order of maintenance residential areas. It was decided that the vendor of independent press hindered passers-by by his 50-centimeters table. Barys Khamajda was detained for the same “violation” on May 15, “Belarusian partisan” reports.

The commission has also turned attention to the contents of the disseminated publications. According one of the participants of the session, the title “President’s kisses everywhere” itself is very strange and needs censorship’s examination. The matter concerns the well-known “People’s television” by Uladzimir Padhol. The accused had to remind that quotes of Alyaksandr Lukashenka himself had been collected in that brochure.

The session of the court in the case of B. Khamajda was held in Belarusian with participation of an interpreter. It was the defendant’s demand long before the court. It was promised that the decree of the court would be read out in Belarusian as well.

As Vitsebsk human rights watchdog Paval Lyavinau believes, the case hasn’t been considered in substance of the article of the Criminal Code. The aim was to punish the activist, and he was punished.

The human rights activist believes that “The Slavonic Bazaar in Vitsebsk” is approaching, and during this festival the oppositionist is “a blemish on the festive landscape” for high-ranking guests, and traditionally he is taken away from the central street for 10-15 days. The present decision of the administrative commission is a warning, which would be ignored by Barys Khamajda however. Tomorrow he said he would be at his usual place. As for one more fine, he said: “I have millions of fines, and 105 thousand make no difference. Anyway I do not have money for paying fines”.