Maryna Malchanava has been returned guilty of working for a foreign mass medium (TV Channel Belsat without accreditation.
Malchanava collected information for a report shown on Belsat. The journalist’s lawyer insisted on the fact that a finished report and the process of collecting information were different things. She mentioned the 34th article of the Constitution that guarantees the freedom of information distribution to all Belarusian citizens.
Maryna Malchanava did not make any written remarks or audio recordings. It is impossible to prove that the text for Belsat was prepared by her, the lawyer noted. She wondered why the police had not tried looking for the cameraman and did not ask Belsat for any explanations. “The administrative process was not conducted to the full extent,” the lawyer added and called the case absurd.
However, judge Natallya Charapuha decided that Malchanava’s guilt had been proved and fined her for 4 million 800 thousand roubles (32 base amounts), the human rights website Viasna reports.
The journalist is going to appeal the court’s decision in the regional court.
