The trial of a member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee took place in the already familiar place for consideration of cases of mass events in the court of Oktyabrsky district of the city of Viciebsk. Judge Inna Grabovskaya considered the participation of human rights defenders in unauthorized actions held on March 25 and 26 as proven, and decided to subject him to a penalty in the form of administrative arrest.

Pavel Levinov was detained on March 26 in Victory Square and taken to Oktyabrsky district police department of Viciebsk, where he was drafted two protocols: for participation in the March 25 action "Freedom Day" and March 26 for "non-Tunisians". The trial over him, as well as over the rest of the detainees for participation in these actions, was to be held on March 27, but at night he got sick in the temporary detention center, and was taken to the ambulance in the cardiological department of the first city hospital, where he later went a course of treatment.

At the trial on April 17, the human rights activist himself was not present, and his own brother Andrei represented his interests. Asked by the judge why Pavel Levinov did not come, his brother explained that at the moment he is undergoing treatment at the Kiev Cardiology Center and therefore asks the court to postpone the meeting until he returns. But the judge rejected this request, motivating her decision by the fact that no supporting documents were provided, and Andrei's oral message is not enough to take him for truth.

Witnesses were not summoned to the trial, although Levinov asked for this, and the entire accusation was based only on drafted protocols and short video records, which show that Paul only walks around the square and does not do anything special. In addition, a document was added to the case file, from which it follows that Pavel Levinov was formally sent by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee to these actions in order to monitor the situation and record the facts of human rights violations. The court also found out that Pavel is still a freelance correspondent for the Viciebsk Courier and was sent to the square according to an editorial assignment. Therefore, the conclusion suggests itself that he did not take part in mass actions, but only fulfilled his job assignments. As, for example, and the militiamen, who were present in large numbers in the square.

Also in the materials of the case were numerous letters sent to the court with a request to stop the administrative process over Pavel. For Pavel, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, international human rights organizations and even ordinary citizens of Belarus, who signed their respective addresses, interceded.

But all these nuances were not taken into account, and Judge Inna Grabovskaya made a decision to punish Levinov with arrest for 15 days. This decision may seem illogical, but only at first glance. The matter is that human rights activists and journalists Leonid Svetik and Kastus Mardzvincau were already given the same decision on March 27 for participation in the same actions, and Kastus was tried by the same judge. Therefore, the court in the person of Inna Grabovskaya was consistent, and the decision rendered was entirely logical. Although in some cases the observers present in the hall did not have any questions to the court.

Vladimir Belyavski