Hrodna: Human rights activist fined for waving white-red-white flag

5 June Leninski district court of Hrodna found the human rights activist Viktar Sazonau and the chairman of Hrodna oblast branch of the United Civil Party Yury Istomin guilty under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (violation of the rules for organizing and holding mass events) and sentenced them to large fines.

At the trial the police majors Andrei Autukh and Siarhei Vechar testified that that during the unauthorized concert of the Polish rock band Lombard Istomin and Sazonau were standing on the roof of an administrative building, waving a white-red-white flag for six minutes. On the basis of these testimonies Judge Kozel sentenced Sazonau to a fine of 1 050 000 rubles (about 493 US dollars) and Istomin, for whom it is already the second ‘violation’ under the abovementioned article – to 1 750 000 rubles (about 821 dollar).