18 October 2001
Observer in Brest fined for obstructing election commission during presidential election

 A district judge in Brest on October 16 imposed a fine of 52,500 rubels on election observer Grigory Varvashevich for obstructing the local election commission and disobeying police officers during the
September 9 presidential election.
Mr. Varvashevich, who observed the voting process as a representative of the Vyasna human rights center, was briefly detained on September 9 after he attempted to enter the polling station when the precinct commission was counting votes.
Police said in a report that the observer could enter the polling station by consent of the precinct commission's chairperson only. On the same day, Mr. Varvashevich also attended a court hearing on his suit against the chairwoman of the precinct commission, Larisa Mozhaiskaya, and the police officers who arrested him on the polling day. He demands 550,000 rubels in damages, saying that his detention was illegal. On October 19, the judge is to question witnesses.