Memories of Stalin repressions are banned

October 31 Vitsiebsk district court sentenced three more participants of the action dedicated to the Day of Fathers’ Memory Dziady to a fine. The action held October 30 was initiated by the city organization of the Conservative Christian Party - Belarusian People’s Front.

The action was held in the village of Paliayi near Vitsiebsk, in the place where crosses commemorating the victims of Stalinism are placed. During the action, 27 people, including three local journalists and human rights activist Leanid Svietsik, were detained and taken to Vitsiebsk district interior department.

In a while, 5 people - Barys Khamaida, Yan Taupyga, Siargey Bieliazieka, Zmitser Yakaulieu and Siargey Kavalenka - were delivered to the court. They were accused of organizing an illegal action. According to the police protocol, they were keeping white-red-white flags during the action.

On the same day Vitsiebsk district court considered the cases of B.Khamaida and Y.Taupyga and sentenced both of them to a fine of 20 basic values (BR 620,000). The others were tried on the next day.

S.Bieliazieka and S.Kavalenka got the same administrative sentence - 20 basic values, S.Bieliazieka told BelaPAN. Z.Yakaulieu is to pay a fine of 1 basic value (BR 31,000). “Yakaulieu wasn’t filmed keeping a flag, but judge Alena Tsierakhava relied on the police protocol where Yakaulieu is said to be guilty,” Bieliazieka added.

The policemen saw no infringement of the Administrative violations Code in the cross placed by the activists in the place where NKVD (People’s Committee for Interior Affaires, later - KGB) carried out repressions. The new cross placed near two more installed previously has a sign saying “To Fighters of the Great Duchy of Lithuania and Belarus.”