Sentence in "extremist" photos trial to be pronounced April 18 (online)

The sentence will be pronounced at 4 p.m. on Thursday

16.20. The disputes started. The KGB representative has spoken up, demanding to consider the photo album extremist. The photographers have objected. According to them, the photos only reflect the situation in the country, with no urges to extremism.

16.05. A 10-minutes break has been announced. It will be followed by the court disputes.

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Darashkevich’s lawyer appeals to summon all the experts of the commission which evaluated the album, to the court. The judge has declined this appeal. He says they already expressed their opinions on paper.

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The experts had more claims against the signs under the photos not the photos by themselves. Head of the ideological department of Hrodna regional executive committee and one of the members of the expert commission has said this at the trial. He also says that they had pretensions to the overall concept of the album.

"There have been no complaints about the album from our citizens. This is our impression that it gives wrong impression about the life in our country”, - says Skrabko. 

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The judge finished reading the expertise’s results. Darashkevich’s lawyer asks the KGB representative to show the documents confirming the qualification of the expert commission’s members. She has refused to do this, claiming she has no such documents. Expert Skrabko starts his speech.

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The judge is studying the conclusions of the KGB expert commission about the photo album “Belarus Press Photo-2011”. After that, head of the ideological department of Hrodna regional executive committee Pavel Skrabko will hold a speech. He was a member of the expert commission and signed the examination results. 

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Julia Darashkevich is speaking. She is telling the judge about the contest “Belarus Press Photo”, explaining how they selected the photos for the album. “So, I see. This is the point – best photos of the year 2010”, - judge Davydau sums up. 

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The KGB representative is speaking at the trial, reading her text from a paper. She has confirmed the plea to consider the photo album “Belarus Press Photo-2011” extremist material. Answering the lawyer’s question on how the expert commission was summoned, she has said it was the ideological department of Hrodna regional executive committee who did it. The KGB sent them a letter asking for assistance. “These materials reflect the life of the Belarusian people in the negative way”, - says KGB representative Natallia Skurat. 

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The trial has been resumed at 2 p.m. The judge has repeatedly prohibited photo and video shooting, as the KGB insisted on it. The KGB has been presented by legal advisor of the Hrodna region KGB Administration Natallia Skurat. She has refused to give any comments to Euroradio. She has even refused to tell whether she saw the photos in the album “Belarus Press Photo-2011”.

The judge has refused to terminate the case. He has also declined the appeal for a new expert evaluation.

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Judge Davydau has not allowed Harry Pahanyayla and Andrei Bastunets to speak at the trial as civil representatives.

A break has been announced till 2 p.m., as the judge needs time to study the appeals of the defence.

The defence appeals to terminate the case due to procedural violations committed by the KGB expert commission. The lawyers also filed an appeal to conduct another expert evaluation, referring to the fact that the KGB experts had no proper qualification. 

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"Extremist" photos trial to be open

The judge has taken this decision.

"The judge has announced that he declines the appeal of the KGB representative to make the trial closed. The trial will be open. However, the journalists have already left. Lawyer Harry Pahanyayla and BAJ representative Andrei Bastunets are the only people who stayed", - Euroradio correspondent Ales Piletski reports on-the-spot.

Vadzim Zamirouski's lawyer of defence appeals to terminate the case. According to her, the conclusion of the KGB expert commission was executed with violation of some necessary procedures.

Euroradio reminds, the KGB spotted extremism in the photo art works, published in the album "Belarus Press Photo 2011". Several dozen copies of this album were arrested at the Ashmyany border crossing point last autumn.

Euroradio correspondent Ales Piletski reports on-the-spot that photographers Julia Darashkevich and Alyaksandr Vasyukovich have arrived to the court with their lawyers.

The trial is closed so no unauthorized persons can get in. Nevertheless, about 15 journalists have gathered near the court building, including the Russian TV-channel NTV. As for famous civil or political activists, only human rights defender Harry Pahanyayla has been noticed. No politicians have come.

Euroradio reminds, the KGB found extremism in the pictures from the "Belarus Press Photo" album.

Left to right: Julia Darashkevich, Alyaksandr Vasyukovich, Vadzim Zamirouski

Photo by Euroradio and svaboda.org