Participants of running festival “Challenge Cup” stand trial in Minsk

Tsentralny District Court of Minsk considered today the administrative charges brought against participants of a running festival called “Challenge Cup” held on September 28.

Four journalists and technical staff of the Internet project Serabranka.by were detained on September 28 and charged under Par. 1, Art. 23.34 of the Administrative Code (violation of the established procedure for meetings, rallies, street marches, demonstrations, pickets, etc.).

As the project manager Kiryl Zhyvalovich told reporters, it was the T-shirts the activists wanted to wear during the race that became the reason for the detention. They had placed the image of political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich on them and the inscription “Serabranka – For Sports, Belarus and Statkevich.”

As a result, Kiryl Zhyvalovich, Yauhen Naporka and Andrei Vislovich were sentenced to a fine of 2 million rubles each.

Another participant in the event, Maxim Dubouski, was also sentenced to a fine of 2 mln. His lawyer was not allowed to attend the trial.

The trials were held behind closed doors, after journalists and human rights defenders were not let in the courtroom.