First time in 17 years: Citizen punished for insult of Belarusian language

Mazyr inhabitant Dzmitry Shcharbatyh, ex-employee of the website offside.by, posted insulting comments about the Belarusian language on the Internet many times. Homel inhabitant Ihar Sluchak was indignant at his latest remark. Shcharbatyh did not like the fact that the billboard of FC Slavia was in Belarusian and wrote about it in social networks.

Sluchak asked his opponent to apologize but the man pretended that he did not understand Belarusian. Sluchak complained to Mazyr District Executive Committee and asked to punish Shcharbatyh for the insult of the Belarusian language (article 9.22 of the Administartive Code).

Shcharbatyh understood his guilt and promised not to do anything of the kind in the future, Mazyr District Executive Committee replied to Sluchak later. However, the man was not satisfied with the outcome and complained to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Shcharbatyh has been fined for 84 roubles (four base amounts).

It is the first fine for the violation of this law since 1999, the MFA Information Centre reports.