Member of United Civil Party will be tried for action against dislocation of Russian military base in Belarus
A member of
the Mahiliou branch of the United Civil Party Mikalai Hladyshau, who
on 4 July held a picket agaianst the plans to place a base of the
Russian air forces in Belarus, will be tried on 15 September.
The
activist received a summons, which indicates that he must appear in
the Leninski District Court of Minsk as an offender. According to a
police report Hladyshau is charged with violating the Law “On Mass
Events”.
Mr. Hladyshau held a protest action opposite the
town hall in Minsk. As specified in the report, he "publicly
protested against the deployment of foreign troops on the territory
of the Republic of Belarus" without having an official permit
for the picket, holding a banner "No to Russian airbase om the
Belarusian land".
The activist will go to court, but does
not consider himself guilty.
“Only the military bases of
Belarus are to be placed on the territory of Belarus, but no foreign
ones, which violates the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus,
where it is stated that Belarus is a neutral country", said
Mikalai Hladyshau.
Mikalai's picket lasted for about 1.5
hours, though the police report states about 40 minutes. The activist
didn't show any resistance to the police during the detention.
The
activist has an ill mother to look after. He became a member of the
United Civil Party short before the picket.
The police asked
him who incited him to the action and whether he was promised to be
paid any money for it.
