Courts convict May Day protesters
Pavel Seviarynets awaiting trial in a police bus. His wife Volha comes to support her husband. 2 May 2017. Photo: svaboda.org
The Court of Minsk’s Centraĺny district convicted yesterday several participants in a May 1 protest held in the central Kastryčnickaja Square.
Pavel Seviarynets, co-chair of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, and opposition activist Maksim Viniarski were both sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention. Viniarski declared a hunger strike to protest the sentence.
Similar trails were also held in Brest and Homieĺ, where Belsat reporter Yauhen Merkis was fined BYN 115 on profanity charges. The journalist allegedly used foul language in a public place.
Vasil Paliakou, deputy chair of the United Civil Party, was sentenced to 15 days in jail for “illegal protesting” and “resisting arrest”.
Three protesters were convicted in Brest, including Aliaksei Samailiuk, who was fined BYN 345 for displaying a clean piece of paper. The activists said the act was a protest against government policies.
