Baranavichy: civil activists get fined for collecting signatures

The court of Baranavichy and Baranavichy district found two activists of the ‘4th sector’ campaign guilty of violating Article 17.1 (petty hooliganism) and were fined 70 000 rubles (about $25) each.

According to Yaraslau Hryshchanka, they were detained on the eve of collecting signatures in defense of the Belarusian language – the action that is held on 17 September by the Young Front.

Besides, the guys were collecting signatures for erecting a monument to the military pilots who tragically died at the air-show in Poland.

The police demanded that the activists showed the permission for collecting the signatures. Then the activists were detained and guarded to the police station, where the reports for ‘dirty swearing’ were drawn up on them. Then the detainees were taken to prison for the night before the trial.