Lohvinau Appeals to Public to Raise Money for the Fine
The publisher and bookstore keeper Ihar Lohvinau held a press-conference asking for help from the public. If the Supreme Court dismisses the appeal, the bookstore will go bankrupt, but Lohvinau hopes the bookstore will survive with correct legal procedures and public support.
Currently the bookstore functions under another legal entity, in the same place. If the appeal is dismissed, the owner will have to initiate bankruptcy procedure and bear subsidiary responsibility for the fine. The light scenario might be confiscation of property and introduction on the list of persons banned to leave Belarus. The worst scenario might include a criminal case.
To avoid this, Ihar Lohvinau called for the public support at today’s press-conference. He was backed by writer Uladzimir Arlou, poet and translator Andrei Khadanovich, philosopher Valiantsin Akudovich.
“We are now filing the cassational appeal against the fine and confiscation of over 961 million rubles. But we do not bear hopes for the Supreme Court, so we start now raising public donations,” said Ihar Lohvinau. It depends on the public whether the bookstore will be able to keep work as earlier.
“Alongside with the fine, we need quite large sums for full transfer of the bookstore from one legal entity to another. We hope it will be painless,” he added.
The money will be raised at the address of the bookstore; also, an account will be opened. Also, writers are going to organize several charity auctions.
Simultaneousli, Ihar Lohvinau filed a suit to the Supreme Court against the Ministry of Information, demanding to overturn refusals of registration which his bookstore had received at least six times in 2014.