Leanid Sudalenka: Freedom Of Speech Is Something You Do Not Need To Ask Permission For

Homel freelance journalists appealed large fines to the UN.

On July 13, Homel freelance journalists Andrei Touchyn, Larysa Shchyrakova and Kastus Zhukouski sent cassation complaints to the regional court. They contest the decisions of the district courts, which sentenced them to pay large fines for cooperation with the Polish satellite television channel Belsat, Homel Spring informs.

On January 18, judge Ruslan Tsaruk in Svetlahorsk found Andrei Touchyn guilty of "illegally producing and distributing media products" and fined him 1225 rubles (50 basic units). On July 7, Vital Kaubenia, a judge of the Soviet district court of Homel, fined him 980 rubles (40 basic units).

The journalist-freelancer Larysa Shchyrakova was tried "for the illegal manufacture of media products" twice this year. Sviatlana Kuheika, a judge in Kalinkavichy, and Sviatlana Pyrkh, a judge in Rechytsa, fined Larysa 40 basic units on May 28 and on July 6 correspondingly.

On July 11, Aliaksei Piskunou, a judge of the Homel Central District Court, found Kastus Zhukouski guilty of "illegal production and distribution of media products" and fined him 735 rubles (30 basic units). The judge did not grant Zhukouski's petition to allow BAJ lawyer Leanid Sudalenka represent his interests in court. This year, freelancer Kanstantsin Zhukouski has been seven times punished with fines for cooperation with Belsat for a total of 6517 rubles (266 basic units).