A court in Minsk sentenced Andrey Zhuk, the owner of the “Bottle Banks” bar, to two and a half years of “home chemistry” (restriction of freedom without being sent to a correctional institution) under the article on participation in actions grossly violating public order (Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code), writes the human rights center “Viasna”.
The court passed the verdict on January 31, but human rights activists became aware of this on February 19. What decision was made regarding his wife Maria is unknown. They were released in the courtroom.
In my country blocked
present tense
The street concert of the singer Meryem Gerasimenko was held on August 3, 2022 on the terrace of the “Bottle Banks” bar. Then she sang the song “Obіymi” of the Ukrainian group “Ocean Elzy”. This was not the first such concert, Zerkalo.io pointed out, but this time propagandists and security officials paid attention to it.
On August 5, Gerasimenko and Zhuk were arrested. According to the Belarusian service of Radio Liberty, immediately after the arrest, Zhuk was given 30 days of arrest. He was charged with two articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses at once: article 24.3 (“Disobedience to the lawful order of an official”) and article 19.11 (“Distribution, production, storage, transportation of information products containing calls for extremist activity”).
On January 20, Gerasimenko was sentenced to three years of “home chemistry”. She was found guilty of “active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order” (Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus).
