Homiel: Women dressed in white-red stage ‘solidarity readings' on train to show support for senior detainees in Minsk
On September 14, women wearing clothes in white and red colours read books by Belarusian and foreign authors (e.g. George Orwell) when travelling on a train in Homiel region, our readers report. They had to use hats, face masks, glasses
In such a manner, they express support for the elderly women who were detained last week for holding a rally of solidarity with political prisoners Maryia Kalesnikava and Maksim Znak. The detainees were also staging ‘Belarusian readings’ in suburban trains.
According to human rights centre Viasna, the places of 60-year-old Iryna Novik and 61-year-old Natallya Aheichyk were searched on September 9; Novik’s daughter says that ‘many articles’ were mentioned in the search warrant presented by KGB officers.
On September 10, the women were tried in Tsentralny district court of Minsk. They were found guilty of participating in ‘an unauthorised mass event’ on September 6 on Starazhouskaya Street. On that very day, opposition activist Maryia Kalesnikava and lawyer Maksim Znak were convicted and sentenced to 11 and 10 years of imprisonment correspondingly.
Natallya Aheichyk pleaded not guilty; judge Dzmitry Karsyuk punished her with a 30-day term of arrest; Iryna Novik and Ala Buyankova got 15 days in jail each.
belsat.eu
