BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

31/08/2007

Belarusian Oppositionist Fined For Refusing To Fill Out Russian-Language Form

A district court in Homel on August 30 imposed a fine of 930,000 rubles ($430) on opposition activist Syarhey Syamyonau for his refusal to fill out a Russian-language customs declaration, Belapan reported. While crossing the border into Ukraine on August 20, Syamyonau asked Belarusian customs officers to either invite an interpreter to help him fill out the form or give him one in Belarusian. The officers refused to meet Syamyonau's request and complained to the district court over the incident. "I can barely read in Russian; that's why I was afraid that I might make errors while filling out the declaration for which I could face criminal charges. The customs officer said that he could translate what was written in the form into Belarusian, but I didn't trust him," Syamyonau reportedly said at the hearing. "Customs officers are biased against me. I travel to Ukraine very often because I work there, and I constantly have to fill out declaration forms, although no one else in the train car is required to do so. A friend of mine used to accompany me and translate the declaration for me, but I was traveling to Ukraine alone that day," Syamyonau said. Judge Maryna Damnenka dismissed his excuse and found him guilty of disobeying orders by a law-enforcement officer. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/08/3-cee/cee-310807.asp