Homiel journalist on trial for sixth time


Central district court of Homiel has fined an independent journalist Kanstantin Zhukouski Br 5,4 mill. Judge Maryna Vosipava found the freelancer guilty of “producing and distributing media products.”

The reason for the Court’s sentence was that Mr. Zhukouski’s video appeared on the TV channel Belsat. The journalist stressed that Part 2 of Article 229 of the Administrative Code, under which he was tried, should be used for legal entities and not individuals.

“I was sentenced for producing and distributing information. But how could I distribute it? Sitting in Homiel and sending it to the satellite? Yes, I make videos and offer them to various agencies. But where it gets is not my concern. The verdict is illogical. Listen, a man is looking for ore to make metal. Later metal is used to make spacecraft. It flies into space and explodes. So why punish someone who is mining? My photos were published in Sovetskaya Belorussia, but I was not tried for that,” said Zhukouski.

The freelancer stressed in court that he is proud that his materials get to Belsat.

According to him, the trial was biased. From the outset, it was clear that the judge had to punish him.

“The authorities live not according to the law, but based on criminal concepts. I made a reportage about the reason for the suicide committed by teacher in Homiel. In fact, the woman was brought to hanging herself by the authorities. Now, they are persecuting me for this, having no conscience and no shame,” said the independent journalist.

The reporter believes his social stance could be a reason for his persecution.

“I do write complaints, because the local officials do whatever they want. For example, some block houses were destroyed in our quarter. Officials promise one thing and do something else. They violate fire safety, sanitary and construction codes. But on paper everything is very different. Our highest authorities are fooling the European Union by saying we are getting things in order, but it is actually still the same – legal confusion and mayhem, the leaders act like pocket Tsars who can do whatever. It turns out that they are the main “agents of the Russian Empire,” because they distract us from the changes doing everything to have us living like they do in Russia,” said Mr. Zhukouski.

The freelance journalist has been tried for 6 times since the start of the year – he was tried 5 times for “spreading media” and once “for participating in a demonstration” organized in Svietlaghrsk by a person in a wheelchair Yury Lyashenka (journalist was covering the event). According to court rulings, the Homiel journalist had to pay 25 million Br.

The journalist stressed that he appealed the sentences at all the conceivable levels and had sent a complaint for the unjust sentence in the Svietlahorsk case to the United Nations.

The total amount of fines that the Belarusian journalists paid for working without accreditation since the beginning of 2015, together with today’s fine of Kanstantin Zhukouski has almost reached 100 million. For cooperating with Belsat, the amount of tines is more than 60 million rubles.

Maxim Yarashevich, belsat.eu/en/

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