Beaten Belarusian girl fined 350,000 rubles

An opposition activist was detained when she was handing round copies of the newspaper “Svobodnye Novosti Plus” near Liftmash plant.

Judge of the Leninski district court of Mahilou Svetlana Saroka delivered her decision on a claim by Aksana Samuilava, a volunteer of Tell the Truth campaign, on beating her by the chief of the Liftmash plant’s security. The girl was fined 350,000 rubles, “Salidarnasts” reports.

The incident took place on May 19, when the activist was handing round registered newspaper “Svobodnye Novosti Plus” near Liftmash plant. According to Samuilava, the plant’s chief security officer Shulau and two guards took 15 copies of the paper from the girl and forced her to go to the office of the plant’s administration. Aksana had to spend here about an hour and then was given to the militia.

The girl recorded the traces of beating the ext day and filed a claim. However, the defendant said at the trial it was he who had been beaten. According to Shulau, a strong built man and former militiaman, the fragile girl had beaten him in presence of two security officers.

The judge said the blame of the security chief wasn’t proved, but the 48-kg girl’s hooligan actions were evident.

“I was fined for I had allegedly beaten him,” Aksana Samuilava told “Salidarnasts”. “They said I was running after Shulau, punching him in his back to return my 125 copies of the newspaper. He had scratches, deep 10 cm long scratches. No of Shulau’s witnesses said I had beating him. They just said I was pulling his shirt.”

Nevertheless, the judge took the side of the defendant.