Judge Shabunia: What’s Wrong With “Referendum”-1995?

An activist Yury Lukashevich has been fined 20 basic units for a white-red-white flag on October Square.

The rally called Avenue Of National Flag was held in Minsk on May 14, and it finished for its participants by reports drawn up against them, and trials. One more participant of the rally, Yury Lukashevich, has stood trial in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk today.

Judge Viktotyja Shabunia tried to find out the attitude of Lukashevich to official symbols, and asked him: “There was a referendum in 1995, and what was wrong with it to your mind?”

A little battle of words took place concerning the fact whether the referendum had been legal or not, and what Lukashevich wanted to demonstrate by his actions on October Square, spring96.org reports.

A policeman Andrei Shushko was a witness. On that day he was a policeman on duty on the square. He said that he recognized Lukashevich, who had been holding a flag and a banner. His colleague Dzianis Vesniak repeated the previous evidence word for word.

A witness who had been drawing a report, informed that on May 23 Lukashevich was questioned at a police department, and confirmed his evidence.

Judge Viktoryja Shabunia ordered to declare Yury Lukashevich guilty of violation of Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code and punish him by a fine of 20 basic units.