Activist Hung Out Banner “No To Political Repressions!” During Hearing On ‘Graffiti Case’

Today's trial started with a demarche of one of those present: the guy chanted “No to political repressions!” and “Art is not a crime!”

Hearing on the “Graffiti case” was started in the court of Frunzenski district of Minsk. Maxim Piakarski, Vadzim Zharomski and Viachaslau Kasinerau, the artists who created the graffiti “Belarus Must Be Belarusian,” and “Revolution of consciousness is already underway…”, appeared in the court. The police considered it to be a crime because there was a young man holding something resembling a Molotov cocktail on one of those graffiti.
Today’s hearing started with a demarche of one of those present. The guy chanted “No to political repressions!” and “Art is not a crime!” “This is not a trial, but a circus!”, - the guy shouted out in a voice trembling with intense emotions. The judge ordered to withdraw him from the court, Nasha Niva reports.
The court denied the request of graffiti artists to conduct the trial in Belarusian language.
All three graffiti artists pleaded not guilty. Vadzim Zharomski said: “I did it, but I don’t accept the qualifications. We did no harm to anyone.”

photo: belsat.eu

We remind that on August 11 five men were violently arrested on suspicion of involvement in three criminal cases: painting two graffiti in Belarusian language, “Belarus Must Be Belarusian,” and “Revolution of consciousness is already underway…”, and painting over a social billboard with an image of policemen. The Investigative Committee accused Maxim Piakarski, Vadzim Zharomski and Viachaslau Kasinerau under Article 339 part 2, “Hooliganism committed by a group of persons.”

Kilde :  http://charter97.org/en/news/2016/1/25/188395/