Young man punished for writing 'Satan' on Lenin monument in Lida

Lida resident Mikalai Myakshyla was sentenced to 12 months of restricted freedom for an attempt to write ‘Satan’ on the monument to Lenin in Lida, human rights website Viasna reports.

The first inscription ‘Satan’ appeared on the monument in March. The communal services quickly removed it. Myakshyla decided to restore the inscription at the end of April. He told the court he wanted to express his disagreement with Lenin’s policy regarding religion. As soon as he approached the monument to start painting, plain clothes police agents ran up, put him on the lawn and started beating him on the back, head and neck. Mikalai said he was not resisting them. They put handcuffs on him and took him to the local police station.

The young man was detained for three days. A criminal case for hooliganism was started against him at first. Myakshyla’s flat was searched. The police confiscated his computer, memory sticks and other devices.

The prosecutor demanded to restrict Myakshyla’s liberty for 1 year and the judge agreed to it. The young man appealed the court’s decision with the help of rights defenders but Hrodna Regional Court upheld the sentence.