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Young opposition activist in Brest heavily fined over "silent" protest

A district judge in Brest on July 15 imposed a heavy fine on young opposition activist Yury Batsuk over a "silent" protest staged in the city on July 6.

Judge Aleh Miranyuk of the Leninski District Court fined the coordinator of an opposition youth group called Maladaya Belarus 1,400,000 rubels ($281), finding him guilty of resisting police officers and using obscene language.

Two police officers claimed during the trial that they had showed their IDs before arresting Mr. Batsuk. There were eight witnesses for the defense and all of them insisted that the officers had worn civilian clothes and never introduced themselves, and that Mr. Batsuk had neither offered resistance nor spoken obscenities.
It is outrageous that people in Belarus are punished for walking and clapping their hands, Ihar Mishkow, an associate of Mr. Batsuk, commented to the Belarus Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. “The only thing left for the authorities to do is to impose a curfew,” he said. //BelaPAN