Journalist Sentenced to Arrest

• 12.12.2007, 8:36

A public activist and journalist Barys Haretski has been sentenced to 7 days of administrative arrest. This verdict was passed by judge of Tsentralny district of Minsk Leanid Yasenovich.

Barys Haretski has been found guilty under Article 32.34 Part 1 of the Administrative Code (violation of the order of organizing or holding a mass event or picketing). A charge relating article 17.1 of the Administrative Code was dismissed from him for absence of crime in the act.

A public activist was charged under evidence of policemen of Minsk city executive committee internal department, Alyaksei Haroshka and Paval Shcherbakou. They claimed that B. Haretski was taking part in the meeting of entrepreneurs, shouted slogans and distributed leaflets “Freedom to Dashkevich”. Besides, as said by them, during the detention near the entrance of Kastrychnitskaya Square metro station, B. Haretski was “shouting loudly, was not reacting to remarks of passers-by, used foul language speaking about policemen who detained him”.

The accused explained in the court that he is a string correspondent of “Nasha Niva” newspaper and works for Radio Racyja Belarusian service. As said by B. Haretski, he had arrived to Kastrychnitskaya Square by order of the editorial office to cover the meeting, and after that he planned to go back to the editorial office by metro.

Barys Haretski finds his detention and the verdict to him illegal.