Kurapaty defenders Ryhor Asaula and Dzyanis Urbanovich have been tried and fined in Minsk District court on Monday.
Urbanovich was detained on July, 13 near Let’s Go and Eat reastaurant. A day after, the police grabbed minor Ilaryion Trusau and Ryhor Asaula, who made an attempt to step in.
Trusau was released, but a report was drawn upon him for petty hooliganism (Art. 17.1 of the Administrative Code).
Ryhor Asaula who stood up for the non-adult was charged under Article 23.4 (disobedience to the police) and 17.1 of the Administrative Code (petty hooliganism). The activist had to spend a night in the predetention centre. The court found him guilty slapped a fine of510 Belarusian rubles (about $250) on him.
Dzyanis Urbanovich also got a fine of Br765 (appr. $380) under Article 17.1 of the Administrative Code (petty hooliganism).
Since May 2018, the group of Belarusian activists has been protesting against ‘dancing on the bones’, i.e.the activity of Let’s Go And Eat restaurant in the vicinity of a Stalin-era mass grave in Kurapaty forest near Minsk – under the passive eye of the local authorities. According to the protesters, its construction and opening at the very place was illegal. Activists first asked the authorities to interfere with the situation, and then decided to act independently. They are trying not to let cars to the territory of the restaurant. The Minsk police have already drawn dozens of protocols against activists who had blocked the restaurant that opened at the site of the massacre.
