Владимир Хильманович. Фото: hpravy.org
The apartment of journalist Uladzimir Khilmanovich, who was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison, failed to sell at auction. It may now be transferred to the state, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reports.
The trial in absentia took place in August 2024. In addition to the prison sentence, Khilmanovich was fined 1,000 base units. To recover the fine, the court ordered that the journalist’s apartment be put up for auction. The auction was held on the BelYurObespecheniye online platform, but the two-room apartment in Hrodna did not attract any buyers.
Following the failed auction, a notice appeared on the website stating: “We invite the claimant to confirm consent to retain the seized property as repayment of the debt under the enforcement proceeding(s), as the property was not sold through electronic auctions.”
BAJ lawyer Yauhen Pylchenka explained that in this case the claimant is the Belarusian state.
“If the auction does not take place, the claimant has the right to retain the debtor’s property. At the same time, if the value of the property exceeds the amount of the debt, the claimant is obliged to transfer the difference to the account of the enforcement authority within no more than one month.
If the claimant does not agree, a new auction is scheduled with a reduced valuation of the property. This process can be repeated several times, with the claimant being offered the opportunity to take ownership of the property each time. If, after the fourth revaluation, the auction still fails and the claimant refuses to retain the property, the seizure is then lifted,” the lawyer explained.
Earlier this year, Khilmanovich’s summer house — a wooden building in the village of Novaselki in the Mosty District — was also put up for auction. The property was initially valued at 8,400 Belarusian rubles. By the fourth and final auction, the price had been reduced to 3,360 rubles. The state may now also take possession of the summer house.
Khilmanovich was convicted in absentia on charges of facilitating “extremist” activities (Part 1 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code of Belarus) and participating in an “extremist” formation (Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus).