Market Vendors Penalized by Huge Fines and Arrests

• 22.01.2008, 18:37

On January 22 participants of the third protest rally of entrepreneurs were standing trial in the courts of Tsentralny and Maskouski districts of Minsk. Individual entrepreneurs protest against discriminatory decree No. 760, which has forced them out of business since the New Year.

People gathered on October Square, and later decided to move to the House of Government to say their requirements to prime minister Syarhei Sidordky.

However, five paddy wagons stood near the Pedagogical University. Several hundreds riot policemen in uniform, in helmets, with truncheons and shields cordoned off the square. Minister Navumau was in charge of the operation.

As a result, more than 30 protesters were detained. As testified by them, policemen in the police department of Tsentralny district were beating them in the evening and today when transporting them to courts. Trials were mostly held behind the closed doors.

Judges of Tsentralny district court and Maskouski district court who passed sentences to protesters are: Tatsyana Paulyuchuk, MikalaY Samosenka, Unukevich, Alena Shylko, Z. Kozak.

Some of the detained were accidental passers-by, and they were released later. However, 21 persons were convicted. They were sentenced to up to 15 days of arrest or huge fines.

1. Vadzim Barouski - a fine of 700,000 rubles

2. Artur Pyatsko – 15 days of arrest

3. Viktar Kuklish – 15 days of arrest

4. Alyaksandr Mikakaevich Hrabyanchuk (was brutally beaten up in the police department of Tsentralny district) – a fine of 700,000 rubles

5. Mikalay Dzemidzenka – a fine of 700,000 rubles

6. Alyaksandr Lyubyanchuk – a fine of 700,000 rubles

7. Yury Bakur – a fine of 750,000 rubles

8. Kanstantsin Balahura – a fine of 750,000 rubles

9. Valyantsin Sakalouski – a fine of 700,000 rubles. However, he was not released in the court room, but taken to the police department again

10. Alina Hladkaya – a fine of 1,500,000 rubles

11. Andrei Sauchuk – a fine of 465,000 rubles

12. Tamara Sauchuk – a fine of 465,000 rubles

13. Viktar Bugaeu –a fine of 800,000 rubles

14. Viktar Kukrysh – 15 days of arrest

15. Syarhei Shautsou – 15 days of arrest

16. Mikhail Subach – a fine of 1,500,000 rubles

17. Andrei Sharenda – a fine of 1,750,000 rubles

18. Alyaksei Bondar -- 5 days of arrest

19. Andrei Prasnyak - 10 days of arrest

20. Andrei Kim – 10 days of arrest and a fine of 1,050,000 rubles

21. Ales Krutkin – a fine of 1,050,000 rubles