Graffitists stand trial in Minsk
The so-called ‘graffitists’ case’ is being considered in Minsk Frunze District Court today. Maksim Pyakarski, Vadzim Zharomski and Vyachaslau Kasinerau will stand trial at 2.30 p.m.
The graffitists’ case was started not long before the presidential election of 2015. The riot police severally detained five young men on August 11. Two of them were let off and the other three were jailed. They were suspected of painting the Belarusian inscriptions ‘Belarus must be Belarusian’ and ‘The revolution of conscience has already begun…’.
Furthermore, the young people were accused of spoiling a big board depicting policemen. They were accused of group hooliganism. The graffitists were released on recognition soon afterwards. The expertise did not reveal any traces of extremism in the inscriptions, the young men told journalists.
The suspects who had pled not guilty were interrogated at the previous hearings.
TUT.by journalist Pavel Dabravolski and two civil activists, Maksim Shytsik and Pavel Syarhei, were beaten by the police at the hearing held on January 25. They were fined for disobedience to the police later. The reason for the severe detention was an action organized by the activists in court. They hoisted banners ‘No to political persecution’ and ‘Art is not a crime’.
