Priest detained and fined for a meeting

Priest of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Leanid Akalovich, activist of the campaign “For Freedom of Conscience” which was supported by Aliaksandr Milinkevich, have been punished by court for sanctification of a commemorative cross, erected in village Drazhna (Minsk region) this spring.

Police detained priest Akalovich in Minsk this morning and took him to the district precinct in Staryia Darogi (Minsk region). “I have been charged for the organization of a meeting on April of 19th without their permission. In fact I sanctified a cross erected in the name of 25 innocent inhabitants of Drazhna village who were murdered by partisans of the Second Minsk company in April  15th, 1943.  I did plead not being guilty and refrained from signing a protocol of police. I totally denied any charge of being an organizer of the event”, - told Akalovich.

Sergei Epikhau, a judge of the Staradarozhski court, fined a priest with 950 000 BYR  (450 USD) for ‘organization of an unauthorized meeting on April 19th,” – Radio Freedom reported.

We would like to remind you that Memorial section of the Belarusian society for protection of historian and cultural memorials held on April 19th, 2008 a commemorative ceremony for the sake of the murdered innocent people in Drazhna. During the ceremony eyewitnesses of the tragedy also took part in sanctification of the Lorraine Cross of the Saint Polacak Efrasinia. However, just few days later local authorities decided to remove the cross into the church of Zaluzh’e village which is situated in several kilometers away from Drazhna. Two other participants of this meeting Viachaslau Siuchyk, member of Memorial section and Viktar Khursik, journalist and local historian, have been already sentenced for 15 days of imprisonment in May.

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