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Trial of journalist Andrzej Poczobut resumes in Hrodna

The trial of journalist Andrzej Poczobut resumed in the Leninski District Court in Hrodna on June 23.

The Hrodna-based correspondent of the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza is answering controversial charges of insulting and defaming the president in his articles and may be sentenced to up to four years in prison.

On Thursday, the court heard expert opinions about the articles from representatives of the Hrodna Regional Executive Committee and a professor at Hrodna State University, who supported the case against the journalist.

Judge Vital Lyatsko rejected the defense team's request for calling 10 people to the witness stand.

More than 50 people gathered in front of the courthouse on Thursday to express support for Mr. Poczobut. They held the journalist's images, prayed and chanted slogans. The consul general of Poland in Hrodna attempted to attend the hearing but was barred from the courtroom.
The closed-door trial opened on June 14.

According to Hrodna Regional Prosecutor Viktar Marozaw, 10 insulting articles by Mr. Poczobut about Alyaksandr Lukashenka were published in 2010 and 2011 in the online version of Gazeta Wyborcza, news site belaruspartisan.org, and social networking site livejournal.com.

The articles included "Time to Tighten Screws," "Lukashenka Finds Another Target," "Belarusian Election without Choice," "This is how Lukashenka Rules," "Lukashenka: Yes, I Rigged Election," "Pre-election Populism, Belarusian Style."

"In my opinion, I haven't insulted Alyaksandr Lukashenka," Mr. Poczobut said in an interview with BelaPAN in late March. "The articles were critical of Lukashenka and even harsh, but not insulting."