Babruysk: Activist sentenced to 1.5 years of restriction of liberty for ‘insulting’ police on web
A local court announced a guilty verdict in the case of Syarhei Hurlo, the chairman of the Babruysk branch of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union.
The activist was charged with ‘insulting a representative of the authorities’ (Article 369 of the Criminal Code). According to the prosecution’s version, Syarhei Hurlo left insultive comments concerning two Babruysk police officers on one of Telegram channels. The public prusecutor demanded the man be arrested for three months.
Today judge Anton Dudal has sentenced Syarhei Hurlo to 1.5 years of restriction of liberty without being sent to a correctional facility. The court also ruled to confiscate the mobile phone from which the comments had been written.
In turn, the two policemen also claimed for ‘emotional distress’ damages; the defendant will have to pay off the total of 2,000 Belarusian rubles to them and cover court costs.
