A journalist from Hrodna Andrej Poczobut has been sentenced for participation in a non-sanctioned demonstration on December 19, on February 11.
monstration on January 19, on February 11.
A judge of the October district court of Minsk Natallia Pratasavitskaya considered this case. She is in the EU's black list. Andrej Poczobut has informed to the correspondent of "Nasha Niva", he appealed for another judge as he doubted the judge's decision would be ubbiased. "I actively stand for visa sanctions and I was not sure that the judge would be unbiased, as these sanctions are imposed on her", — the journalist has explained. The judge declined the appeal.
In spite of the sentence, Andrej feels brave.
"I was prepared for such results. I think of it as of some extreme tourism, a sort of a journalist's task".
The journalist thinks that his case would finish like this anyway. He recalls how arrest prevented him from meeting his wife from a maternity clinic last year. So, this year he will celebrate his son's birthday in prsion, again.
Let us remind you, Poczobut was detained at the Independence Square and spent a day and a night in the police van. The October district court considered his case. However, the journalist was released in the very last moment and his case was sent for additional checking.
Later,the October district court fined the journalist for 1.750.000 roubles for "participation in a non-sanctioned demonstration". The public prosecutor's office considered the sentence "too mild", Minsk city court agreed with this claim and appointed a repeated trial.
