Andrei Skurko

Affiliated media: Nasha Niva, Head of the advertising and marketing department

Incident date: March 15, 2022

Attack type:

• Court trial

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Minsk

Additional information:

The editor-in-chief of Nasha Niva Yahor Martsinovich and head of the advertising and marketing department Andrei Skurko were sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. The Zavodsky District Court of Minsk found them guilty of «causing property damage on a large scale without signs of embezzlement, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy on a particularly large scale». The case was conducted by prosecutor Mikalai Dyatel and judge Anzhela Kastiukievich. The journalists were accused of paying utility rates for individuals, not legal entities. According to the investigation, from May 2017 to June 2021, Martsinovich and Skurko placed an office in a flat belonging to Skurko, and paid for housing and utilities at rates for residents, not businesses. Initially, the damage was calculated in the amount of BYN 3,500. Then, the amount rose to BYN 10,000. The defendants paid the damage before the trial, while Minskvodokanal and Minskenergo withdrew their claims.