Ex-defense lawyer fined for e-mail insults
A district court in Minsk awards a Br 650 thousand fine to the former attorney for insulting a colleague in e-mailed comments.
Yezhednevnik reports that former attorney with a Minsk-based law firm Mikhail Zhardzetskі was found guilty by Pershamaiski District Cour in Minsk of degrading the honor and dignity of a person in an insulting way. The court warned the lawyer that if repeated again in the course of the year this administrative offence could qualify for criminal prosecution.
The court found out that Zhardzetski had insulted his former colleague and supervisor Pavel Sapelka who was deprived of his lawyer's license in 2011 and is currently involved in human rights work. When one day Sapelka "gave an unwelcoming comment about Zhardzetski's internship", the latter decided to take revenge. Initially, Sapelka would not react to e-mails with insults but later filed a report with the police. The inquiry revealed that insulting e-mails were dispatched by the lawyer from his work desk in the law firm's office.
During the hearing, Mikhail Zhardzetski pleaded himself guilty and apologized.
Photo: ria.ru
