Vitsebsk journalist fined $1,200

Zhan­na Ivano­va (known in Vit­seb­sk as Zhan­na Zhale­vich) informed on Face­book that she had been tried today. The hear­ing result­ed in a $1,200 fine. Ear­li­er that morn­ing, the jour­nal­ist post­ed on social media that strangers were break­ing into her flat. Since then, there has been no con­tact with the jour­nal­ist.

Zhan­na Zhale­vich’s phone was seized until she pays the fine imposed by the court. The Per­shamais­ki Dis­trict Court of Vit­seb­sk found the woman guilty of unau­tho­rized protest under Arti­cle 24.23 of the Admin­is­tra­tive Offens­es Code. Four pho­tos post­ed on her social media served as the ground for start­ing an admin­is­tra­tive case. The police­men of the Per­shamais­ki police depart­ment noticed the Belaru­sian nation­al sym­bol on them.

The tri­al was to have tak­en place on 18 Novem­ber. How­ev­er, the police offi­cers changed their plans and force­ful­ly brought Zhan­na Zhale­vich to court today.