Leninsky District Court in Minsk sentenced the Director of Housing and Utilities Administration № 82, Elena Makhnitskaya, to a two-day administrative arrest for abusive handling of animals.

On August 5, 2009 workers of Housing and Utilities Administration № 82 immured cats and kittens in the basement of house № 12 in Rokossovskogo Avenue, Minsk (click to read the story). One of the kittens died. Animal protectors submitted an application to Leninsky District Administration, appealing for an administrative procedure (Clause 15.45 of Administrative Offences Code of the Republic of Belarus “Cruelty to animals”) against the employees of the Housing and Utilities Administration.

The trial against the Director of Housing and Utilities Administration № 82 took place on October 21. Elena Makhnitskaya tried to justify the offense referring to «Rules and Norms of Residential Properties Maintenance». Nevertheless, the judge qualified her conduct as cruelty to animals and meted out a two-day administrative arrest, reports udf.by website.