“We Will Not Forget”: Prison sentences for writing on pavement Updated

The Frunzienski District Court of Minsk sentenced today Maksim Pauliushchyk to two years in prison for spray-painting “We Will Not Forget” on the pavement near the Puškinskaja metro station as a sign of remembrance of protester Aliaksandr Taraikouski who died on the spot on August 10, reportedly from a rubber bullet fired by a law enforcement officer. The other defendant in the case, Maryia Babovich, has been sentenced to 18 months of home imprisonment.

Pauliushchyk, 26, and Babovich, 25, were found guilty of “hooliganism” (Art. 339 of the Criminal Code) for “unreasonably, deliberately desecrating the pavement with cynical inscriptions and damaged property, which caused property damage on a large scale.” The “large-scale damage,” however, was eventually diminished to 211 rubles (82 USD).

Both defendants pled guilty to drawing the phrase next to the Taraikouski grassroots memorial, but stressed that it did not constitute an act of hooliganism. Nor did they admit that the drawing was “cynical.”

This position is shared by Belarusian human rights defenders who earlier called Babovich and Pauliushchyk political prisoners and demanded their immediate release.

A statement by the country’s human rights coalition said that this form of expression fell under the protection of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and had nothing to do with the charges.

The human rights activists noted that the inscription “We Will Not Forget” on the pavement could not have caused significant damage or destruction of the road surface, and the material damage from such an inscription was purely symbolic.

The same court is hearing similar charges brought against Dzianis Hrakhanau, Ihar Samusenka and Uladzislau Hulis. The three men were accused of writing “We Will Not Forget” after the drawing was painted over by the city cleaning service. All of them were recognized as political prisoners. The verdict in the trial is expected this afternoon.

UPD. Uladzislau Hulis was sentenced to 2 years in prison. Dzianis Hrakhanau and Ihar Samusenka were sentenced to 1 1/2 years' imprisonment in an open-type penal colony (so called "khimiya").

Just like Maksim Pauliushchyk and Maryia Babovich earlier today, the they were found guilty of "hooliganism committed by a group of persons" (Art. 339 of the Criminal Code).

The initial slogan reading "We Will Not Forget" written on the pavement near the Puškinskaja metro station in Minsk in memory of Aliaksandr Taraikouski