Bagpiper Dzmitry Shymanski convicted over August 2020 protest

The Zavodski District Court of Minsk sentenced today political prisoner Dzmitry Shymanski to three years of restricted freedom in an open penitentiary (“khimiya”) on charges of organizing “actions that grossly violated public order” and “training of persons to participate in such actions” (Parts 1 and 2 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code).

The convict was released in the courtroom and will be free unless the verdict is confirmed by a court of appeals.

According to the indictment, on August 16, 2020, Dzmitry Shymanski, together with Piotr Marchanka, Yuliya Yunitskaya (Marchanka), Nadzeya Kalach, Uladzimir Kalach, Anton Shnip (all of them are political prisoners) and other unidentified persons “moved together with a crowd of people”, “publicly shouted slogans”, “blocked the road” and “refused to leave”. He also “clapped his hands loudly, repeatedly refusing to obey the lawful orders of police officers” and “deliberately interfering with the regular movement of transport and the work of enterprises”. By doing the above, Shymanski allegedly committed a crime under Part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code.

He also played a bagpipe during the protest, which, according to the prosecution, constituted a crime under Part 2 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code.