Hrodna Belarusian Popular Front Leader: My Family Is Nobody’s Business

Vadzim Saranchukou is going to defend his honor and dignity at an open, public trial.

"It’s nobody’s business what kind of wife I have," – Vadzim Saranchukou, the BNF party's Hrodna branch leader, who has filed a lawsuit against Hrodna television for insulting his reputation, is perplexed.

The broadcasting company Hrodna published a piece "March to Nowhere" on April 18.

The aim of the material is to show the Hrodna opposition not in the best light. One of the persons mentioned in the piece – Vadzim Saranchukou, the BPF party Hrodna branch head – decided to sue the regional channel.

In his opinion, the piece is offensive and harms the politician’s business reputation. According to Saranchukou, the coverage reminds the police filming, and not the work of journalists. The Belarusian Popular Front representative was shown for as long as two minutes in it.

Vadzim is indignant that the state ideologists used a photo of his minor child without his permission and harmed his reputation, both as a private person and as an artisan.

"It is unreasonably asserted that I am falsely engaged in entrepreneurial activity – craftsmanship, – the politician says in his interview to Belsat. – Some claims are made about my personal qualities: for example, they state that I’ve taken a wife from a rich family. Who should care what kind of wife I have and where I met her?"

"I am going to defend my honor and dignity in court"

The piece draws attention to the fact that the politician allegedly receives funding from "foreign curators" for his public activities. The politician considers such statements as slander, especially since the piece got on the air with violations.

"One of the current legislation’s violations was that the picture shot was anonymous, – says Saranchukou. – I am going to defend my honor and my dignity via the court."

Saranchukou demands that the person responsible for the release of this material is named, insists that the Hrodna TV and radio company would make a public apology and refutation of information, filed in the material "March To Nowhere".

In addition to Vadzim Saranchukou, BCD member Siarhei Verameyanka, UCP representative Yezhy Hryhenchy, Tell The Truth member Dzmitry Bandarchuk, For Freedom movement activist Vadzim Liavan and Fair World party representative Valiantsin Naumau were mentioned in the film in the negative context.

It is allegedly impossible to identify the author of the film

Today, a questioning on this civil case, considered by Judge Kseniya Stasiukevich, was conducted in the Hrodna Leninski district court. At the preparatory stage, a Hrodna TV and Radio Company representative stated to the court that the video had been prepared by a team of authors, that was why it was impossible to indicate the author, and the entire editorial office would be responsible.

It is interesting that the judge was conducting the questioning in Belarusian, although the TV and radio company Hrodna representative was against it.

Those present at the meeting claim that the court was coming over to the TV and radio company’s side. So far, the parties were given time to go on a compromise, the next session is on July 6th.