Minsk bar owner sentenced over Ukrainian song

In the capital of Belarus, the owner of a local bar in which a song in support of Ukraine was sung was sentenced to 2.5 years of freedom restriction.

That’s according to Radio Liberty, referring to the Viasna human rights watchdog, Ukrinform reports.

"On January 31, the owner of the Banki-Botelki bar Andrey Zhuk and his wife Maria were convicted in the court of Minsk’s Moskovsky district. They were charged under Art. 342 Part 1 of the Criminal Code (Active participation in actions that grossly violate public order). Rights activists learned that judge Sergey Katser sentenced Andrey to 2.5 of freedom restriction. Maria's verdict is not disclosed," the report says.

After the verdicts were handed down, the convicts were released from custody.

Radio Liberty recalls that on August 3, 2022, a concert by Meriam Gerasimenko took place on the terrace of the Banki-Botelki bar. She performed the song "Obiymy (*Hug) by Okean Elzy in support of Ukraine. The next day, inspectors with the medical facility and the Ministry for Emergency Situations came to the establishment, and later its owner Andriy Zhuk was taken into custody. His wife Maria was also detained.

Earlier this year, the said singer was sentenced to three years of community service and serving a conditional sentence at home.

Photo: instagram.com/mary_moveablefeast