The defendants in the “TUT.by case” have received a custody extension for two more months, reports Zerkalo.io. Eleven of them have been in custody for four months already.
None of the employees of “TUT by media” and related projects, previously held in custody, were released after four months of detention. It means that all of them had their detention prolonged for two more months.
On 18 May, the Minsk and regional offices of TUT.by, as well as the employees of the outlet, were searched. According to the State Control Committee, a criminal case under Part 2 Article 243 of the Criminal Code (“Tax evasion on a large scale”) was brought about by the officials of TUT BY MEDIA. The domain of the portal was blocked, and later the materials of the outlet were declared “extremist.” Within the framework of the “TUT.by case,” 15 people were arrested. Eleven of them remain behind bars:
- general director Lyudmila Chekina,
- editor-in-chief Maryna Zolatava,
- editor-in-chief Volha Loyka.
- deputy director Iryna Rybalka,
- journalist Alena Talkachova,
- chief accountant Angzhla Asad,
- deputy chief accountant Maryia Novik,
- chief engineer Alla Lapatka,
- deputy CTO Alyaksandr Daineka,
- manager of Publisher Box, Andrei Audzeyeu
- Director of Rocket Data, TAM.BY Darya Danilava.
Director of Hoster.by Syarhei Pavalishau spent more than three months in pre-trial detention, but on 1 September, he was released. Three more people were placed under house arrest:
- Yulia Charnyauskaya, widow of TUT.BY founder Yuri Zisser.
- Katsyaryna Tkachenka, lawyer of TUT.BY,
- Iryna Kastsiuchenka, former TUT.BY legal advisor.
