Human rights activist Paul Levinau achieves initiate an administrative proceeding against the newspaper "Aptyeczka Yelameda" According Levinau, publishers and distributors of newspapers, which is registered in Russia, should be brought to administrative responsibility for its illegal production and distribution on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

The relevant requirements of the human rights activist appealed to the Department of Internal Affairs of the Pervomai Vitebsk region in early September of this year. So the other day it became known that the local inspector ATS administration Pershamajski district Vitebsk Senior Lieutenant V. Pogorelsky decided - administrative proceedings against the Russian edition stop. Justified its decision Pogorelsky Deputy Minister of Information of the Republic of Belarus Igor Laptenok June 16, 2009, from which it follows that the canceled permitting process for the dissemination of Russian periodicals in the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

However, as the human rights activist, police inspector ordered that is not based on the current legislation. Their arguments Levinau builds on the basis of judgments made in recent years in relation to the editorial board and employees of the newspaper "Vitebsk Courier", which is also registered in Russia.

So, May 4, 2010, the judge Pershamajski district court of Vitebsk Valentine Kismeroshkina considered received from the head of the police administration Pershamajski district Vitebsk administrative proceedings against Victor Ramniou. Vitebsk activist in a car carrying 56 copies of Russian periodicals - newspapers "Vitebsk Courier" and was prosecuted for it to liability under Part 2 of Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code.

The court ruling handed down by the judge Kismeroshkina, stated: "According to the relationship of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus of 20.04.2010, the products of the foreign media can be distributed in the Republic of Belarus on the basis of authorization by the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus in accordance with paragraph 5 of Article 17 law of the Republic of Belarus of 17.07.2008, "On mass media". Currently developed regulations on the issuance of permission to distribute products of foreign media."

Said the court decision was appealed, and the judge Vitebsk regional court upheld the validity of Irina Smolyakova the judge Kismeroshkina's decision on bringing Ramniou to administrative responsibility, stating that "the resolution of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus for the spread on the territory of the Republic of Belarus newspaper "Vitebsk Courier", registered in the Russian Federation Ramniou V.A. does not have."

Recognized fair attraction Victor Ramniou to administrative responsibility and the Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court Valery Kalinkovich because "resolution of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus for the spread on the territory of the Republic of Belarus newspaper" Vitebsk Courier ", registered on the territory of the Russian Federation Ramniou V.A. has not, as evidenced by the letter of the Ministry of Information №03-03/2698 of 10 November 2010".

This fact attract a distributor of the newspaper "Vitebsk Courier" is not an isolated case. In October 2012, a judge Pershamajski district court of Vitebsk Natalia Korablina for distribution of 241 copies of "Vitebsk Courier" was brought to administrative responsibility Mikhail Zhuravlev. Zhuravlev deal was made in proceedings on the proposal of the head of ATS of the Pershamajski District of Vitebsk.

In the ruling, Judge Korablina stated: "Newspaper "Vitebsk Courier" is registered in the territory of the Russian Federation and the permission of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus for the spread on the territory of the Republic of Belarus of the newspaper is not available." And cassation and supervisory courts, and even the city of Vitebsk prosecutor confirmed the legality of an administrative penalty citizen Zhuravlev.

According to Paul Levinau, the persecution of the distributors of the newspaper "Vitebsk Courier" directly point to its discrimination, as well as the selectivity of existing legislation against violators of the law on the media. Indeed, about the spread of some foreign media (newspaper "Vitebsk Courier") ATS chief of the Pershamajski District of Vitebsk agrees with the direction of an administrative case to court, and in relation to other (newspaper "Aptyeczka Yelameda") - with symptoms similar violations of the law - agrees with the decision to dismiss the case.

Under such circumstances, the human rights activist Paul Levine, the decision to dismiss the case on an administrative offense (illegal distribution of the newspaper "Aptyeczka Yelameda") shall be canceled and the case shall be brought to trial.