‘White-Red-White Flag In Hands Is Matter Of Conscience’

22-year-old Greta Sabaleuskaya never misses a single street action in Minsk.

According to the data provided by the HRC “Viasna”, 9 people have already been tried or will stand trial later for the participation in the September 8 action.

The participants of the September 8 action, which was aimed to coincide with the day of the Belarusian Military Glory, are receiving subpoenas to come to the police for drawing up protocols under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (participation in a non-sanctioned mass event). Among them there are Co-Chairman of the steering committee for creating the party “Belarusian Christian Democracy” Pavel Seviarynets, activist Leanid Kulakou, Co-Chairperson of the solidarity movement “Razam” Alena Talstaya, and Ales Makayeu. The protocols will also be drawn against activist of the “Alternativa” civil campaign Dzmitry Silchanka and Viachaslau Siuchyk, nn.by reports.

Among the constant participants of the actions who are often called to come to the police, there are the names of young people. Thus, 22-year-old Greta Sabaleuskaya was detained right after the Friday action: she helped other people to carry the giant white-red-white flag. The girl was delivered to the police department, where the policemen put down her passport data and let her go. She was summoned to the Minsk Central district police department on September 15 though.

We contacted Greta (whose real name is Margarita by the way) to talk to her about her first experience, connected with the consequences of expressing a protest.

“I usually attend all actions, I saw the Freedom Day, the Chernobyl Way, and the summer protests. This time I came to the event alone but met a lot of people that I knew there. The police stopped me in the metro later, just came by, explained nothing and asked to come with them to the police department. They set me free quite soon, but, according to the subpoena, they expect me to come to the police department again on September 15.”

Greta’s political views differ a lot from hewr parents’ convictions. They don’t live together though, so the girl is responsible for herself in such moments. Her friends try to soft-talk her not to go to the police for the second time, but she doesn’t consider herself a criminal and intends to lead an open dialogue with the law-enforcers.

It is interesting that the girl's father comes from Russia, and the mother is Polish. She considers herself to be Belarusian. Margarita independently began to study the Belarusian language recently. She makes a living by translating from Chinese.

Important to note, the first fines for the participation in the action were already charged: Bn 460 should be paid to the state by activist Stanislau Paulinkovich.