Organizer of Stop Petrol-2 action fined
The Stop Petrol-2 action took place on 28 April at three Minsk motorway filling stations of the Belnaftakhim concern and at other
motorway filling stations in more than ten towns and cities of Belarus.
Participants of the event were proposed to fill their cars with 2 liters of petrol and pay
for it in small banknotes.
After the beginning of the action at the Minsk motorway filling station in
Lenin Street, 44 the leader of the informational and educational institution For Auto Artsiom Sharkou was detained by
the police and guarded to the Leninski District Police Department of Minsk. He
was released in an hour without getting any charges.
His absence disrupted the motorists’ plan to drive along Nezalezhnasts Avenue up to the National
Library.
On 5 May Mikhail Khoma, Judge of the Leninski District Court of Minsk fined
Artsiom Sharkou 1,050,000 rubles under Article 23.34 of the Code of
Administrative Offences, “violation of the order of organizing and holding mass
events or pickets”.
At the trial, the judge interrogated three witnesses – an acquaintance of Mr. Sharkou,
a journalist and a senior inspector of the law and order section of the
Leninski DPD, all of whom had attended the action in Lenin Street, 44.
“During the detention, the police said that there were no leaflets. Pitifully
enough, it is not reflected in the detention report of 28 April. […] These
charges can be considered as farfetched. I have the impression that the verdict
was ready before the trial, and all the rest was a show,” commented the
activist to the BelaPAN.
Artsiom Sharkou intends to appeal the court verdict at a higher court.
