Gazeta Slonimskaya newspaper accused of insulting Lukashenka

An administrative case was opened against the independent newspaper, which can now be fined 90 million rubles (500 basic amounts).

The administrative case was opened against Gazeta Slonimskaya for insulting Aliaksandr Lukashenka. The independent newspaper is accused of “spreading deliberately false information that denigrates honour and dignity of the president of the Republic of Belarus”, Euroradio reports.

Viktar Valadashchuk, the newspaper's editor-in-chief, was summoned to the Slonim police department on August 5. He was said that the problem was the article called “Voice from village. Main thing that president can speak well”. It was an opinion poll among dwellers of villages of the Slonim district who were asked what they think about the “elections”. Valadashchuk wasn't said what was wrong in the article. He, in his turn, says he is not yet ready to comment on the incident.

Valadashchuk says the staff is preparing the next issue despite the problems: “What can we do? We will work and publish the next issue. We have a meeting and decided to go on working. The police will investigate the case. I don't know what they will decide. The case will most likely be sent to a court, which will decide whether we violated the administrative code or not.”

If the newspaper is found guilty, it may be fined up to 90 million rubles (500 basic amounts).