Independent observer in Baranavichy fined 15 basic units

• 22.08.2012, 10:19

Syarhei Housha was found guilty of swearing during his conversation with the head of the constituency election commission.

The independent observer asked at the trial to show the minutes of the meeting of the constituency election commission in constituency No. 5 in Baranavichy, because he suspected the document was a fake, but a judge dismissed his motion, Viasna human rights centre reports.

Housha filed two motions before the court proceedings began. He demanded to conduct the trial in Belarusian and give his lawyer an opportunity to defend him during the trial.

Vasily Patrou, the judge of the court of Baranavichy and Baranavichy district, ordered human rights activists Valyantin Stefanovich, Ualdzimir Labkovich and Pavel Sapelka to leave the courtroom on no grounds. He did not explain his actions.

Four witnesses, all members of the election commission, gave their evidence. Some of them claimed Housha was swearing, but the others were unable to confirm it. The judge granted a motion to attach to the case the audio recording of the conversation between the observer and head of the constituency election commission Tatyana Latyshava.

The recording was heard at the trial, but the judge found Syarhei Housha guilty of swearing and fined him 15 basic units (1.5m rubles).

We remind an administrative case against the observer was initiated on a claim of Tatyana Latyshava, the head of constituency election commission in Baranavichsky-Zakhodni constituency No. 5. She said Syarhei Housha had been using obscenities when he talked to commission members on July 23, 2012.