A Minsk court has imposed a fine of 1657.5 Belarusian rubles (appr. $700) on Dzyanis Urbanovich, Head of the youth opposition organization Young Front. The man is known for his participation in defending Kurapaty, a Stalin-era mass grave site.
Dzyanis Urbanovich was charged with disorderly conduct (Article 17.1) and disobedience to police (Art. 23.4 of the Belarusian Administrative Code). The judge found him guilty and slapped two fines on him, which totalled to 1657.5 rubles.
On November 3, the ununiformed policemen grabbed, threw into a van and severely beat parliamentary candidate Zmitser Kazakevich, Young Front leader Dzyanis Urbanovich, his brother Maksim Urbanovich, activists Valery Rabtsau, Ilaryion Trusau and Vital Tryhubau. Most of the activists were taken to Baraulyany police station, where they had to spend the yesternight. Dzyanis Urbanovich had to consult the doctors; he got his neck immobilized.
His brother Maksim Urbanovich was punished by a fine of 510 rubles.
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 the mass grave in Kurapaty forest – 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.
