Four facing criminal charges over September 6 protest
Riot police and barbed wire outside Aliaksandr Lukashenka's residence in Minsk during a peaceful protest on September 6, 2020
The Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation into alleged “breach of peace” during a major protest held in Minsk on September 6.
The case opened under Art. 342, Part 1 of the Criminal Code (“group actions that grossly violate public order combined with obvious disobedience to the lawful demands of police officers, as well as causing disruption of the activities of public transport, institutions and organizations”) targets four protesters aged 18 to 32. The disruption of public transport reportedly resulted in BYN 30,000 worth in damage.
One of them, an 18-year-old girl, is facing an additional charge of “criminal hooliganism” for allegedly vandalizing a riot control vehicle with spray paint.
The September 6 protest in Minsk was attended by at least 120 thousand people. Over 200 were detained. Thirty-one were sentenced to short prison terms. Nineteen more were fined.
As of today, Viasna knows the names of over a hundred persons who faced criminal charges over their involvement in the post-election protests.
