Homel Journalist Larysa Shchyrakova Appeals To UN

The world must know the truth about the violation of the right to freedom of speech in Belarus.

December 1st, the deputy chairman of the Homel branch of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the journalist-freelancer Larysa Shchyrakova filed a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee on the violation of the right to receive and disseminate information, the right to peaceful meetings. The BAJ lawyer Leanid Sudalenka, who will handle the case of the journalist in the international court, reported this to the Homel Spring.

We remind that on March 17 of this year, the chairman of the Homel district court, Raisa Kavalevich, sentenced Shchyrakova to a fine for her video coverage of the March of Disgruntled Belarusians in Rahachou (the official version: she participated in an unauthorized rally). On April 12, a judge of the same court, Tamara Zastaunetskaya, fined Larysa 40 basic units (or 920 rubles) for cooperation with the Polish television channel Belsat, which showed her reports about the problems in the village of Biarozauka and the March of non-parasites in Homel on March 25.

On April 13, Sviatlana Pyrkh, a judge of the Rechytsa District Court, punished the journalist with a large fine (30 basic units or 690 rubles.) for the report from Rechytsa "The House On Chicken Legs". On May 19, Andrei Suslo, a judge of the Homel district court, punished her with another large fine (35 basic units or 805 rubles) for covering the protest of non-parasites in Homel on May 1. On August 9, the same judge considered another protocol against Shchyrakova, this time for covering the protest rally of the residents of Chkalauski tertiary street in Homel, who protested against the demolition of their houses. The verdict of the court was 35 basic units (or 805 rubles).

On October 19, a judge of the Homel Chyhunachny District court, Yauhen Sharshniou, punished Larysa Shchyrakova with another fine, because the journalist had come to court with a symbolic noose around her neck. According to the court, she had held an unauthorized picket near the courthouse.

"I have gone through all the steps of effective judicial protection without any result in Belarus, – Shchyrakova says. – It means that one can’t be defended in the Belsat cases in the country, so I have used the only possible mechanism to protect my rights at the international level."

Last year, the total amount of the journalist’s fines for exercising her rights and freedoms was about 2 thousand US dollars (3956 rubles.).

Lawyer Leanid Sudalenka, who helps victims of violations to defend rights in the UN Human Rights Committee, notes that the journalist's case revealed a number of contradictions between the national legislation and international treaties of Belarus.

"The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees everyone the freedom to collect and disseminate information, freedom of assembly and expression of opinions. Our national legislation restricts the very essence of these rights. The courts, when considering such a category of cases, take decisions solely on the basis of national legislation, ignoring the norm of international treaties of our country. I am sure that the violations of the journalist's rights will be established in this case," – he notes.