Leanid Kulakou To Court: I Do Not Have Money To Pay Fine, Sentence Me To Arrest

The activist of the European Belarus civil campaign has been tried in Minsk.

On April 24, the Tsentalny district court of Minsk considered the administrative case of Leanid Kulakou, an activist of the European Belarus civil campaign, who is tried under Part 3 of Art. 23.34 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Belarus (participation in an unauthorized mass event, committed again within one year after the imposition of an administrative penalty for the same violations), the Viasna human rights center writes.

Judge Valeryj Yesman tried the activist for participating in a public prayer for the victims of Stalin’s repressions, which took place near the Metropolitan Cathedral on April 7. The event was organized following the call of one of the leaders, Mikalai Statkevich, after the authorities started to destroy the crosses in Kurapaty. During the consideration of the case, Leanid Kulakou turned to the judge: “I have no money to pay the fine, sentence me to an arrest!”

The Tsentalny district court of Minsk found Leanid Kulakou guilty under Part 3 of Art. 23.34 and punished with a fine of 45 basic units, which amounts to 1,147.5 rubles.