People detained near Shevchenko monument in Minsk under arrest
Five activists were sent to jail for commemorating Ukraine's killed Maidan heroes.
Activists Ales Makayeu and Maxim Vinyarski were punished by a 15-day administrative arrest, Radio Liberty reports. On January 23, the Central district court of Minsk found them guilty of holding an unsanctioned event.
According to the site spring96.org, Mikola Kolas and Yauhen Batura were sentenced to 10 days. Volha Nikalaichyk was sentenced to 5 days of arrest.
Nina Baginskaya was fined 20 basic units.
The court was held in a closed session - judge Victoria Shabunya, despite numerous requests, did not allow journalists and human rights defenders to attend the trial.
As was earlier reported by Euroradio, on January 22, on the anniversary of the shootings in Maidan, people gathered in Minsk near the monument of Taras Shevchenko. They wanted to honor the memory of the deceased Heavenly Hundred Belarusian hero Mikhail Zhyzneusky and other Ukrainian heroes. They laid flowers, sang the national anthem of Ukraine and Belarusian religious hymn Magutny Bozha (God Almighty). After this, they were detained.
Eventually, the detainees were released and some activists were accused of holding an unsanctioned event.
