Criminal Case against Aliaksei Sarnou Passed to Court

Hrodna police has passed to court a criminal case against Aliaksei Sarnou, who in the night of 17 December had made graffiti on the walls of two houses. That’s how he expressed his protest against the liquidation of social guarantees by the Belarusian authorities.

At present Aliaksei is in hospital. He was visited by the investigator Shkulepa and made to sing the undertaking not to leave the city. At first the 23-year-old activist was charged under article 341 of the Criminal Code (defilement of buildings and property), providing up to 3 months of jail as punishment.

Then the accusation was changed to article 339 (hooliganism) with the maximum punishment of 3 years in jail.

‘The authorities have deprived students and pensioners of the last possibility to lead at least minimally passable life. Of course, everybody is indignant, but not all people can express their protest. I decided to show to the citizens that there are still people who are not afraid of the repressive machine and can say their ‘no’ to the president’s decrees that doom people to poverty,’ said Aliaksei Sarnou to Radio Racyja.

Now Aliaksei's lawyer is going to appeal against the change of the accusation article.