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Ales Byalyatski's son handed $70 fine on disorderly conduct charge

A judge of the Tsentralny District Court in Minsk on Tuesday sentenced human rights defender Ales Byalyatski's son, Adam, to a fine of 350,000 rubels ($70) on a disorderly conduct charge.

The young man was arrested after he stopped his car on the busy intersection between Independence and Masheraw Avenues and turned hazard flashers on during motorists' attempt to stage a protest against a fresh increase in motor fuel prices. He was immediately handcuffed, put into a traffic police car and driven away. His automobile was towed away.

As human rights defender Uladzimir Labkovich told BelaPAN, Judge Leanid Yasinovich rejected the man's request for a video of his arrest to be shown in court, explaining that it was not known where such a video could be obtained. Without leaving the courtroom to deliberate, Mr. Yasinovich found Adam Byalyatski guilty under Article 17.1 of the Civil Offenses Code.

"We view this arrest and fine as purely politically motivated," Mr. Labkovich said. "Not a single motorist but Adam Byalyatski was apprehended during the event. That means that he was under strict watch and this is most likely another attempt to put pressure on his father."

Ales Byalyatski, who chairs a human rights group called Vyasna and is vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights, was arrested in Minsk on August 4.

On August 12, he was formally charged with large-scale tax evasion. Under Part Two of the Criminal Code’s Article 243, the offense carries a penalty of a “restricted freedom” term of up to five years or a prison term of three to seven years. //BelaPAN