Two Journalists Arrested for Solidarity Photos with Teddy Bear

The court fined Julija Darashkievich with the same sum as Iryna Kozlik: Br 3mln or ca. $360.

During the trial, the lawyer of Julija Darashkievich asked to cease the trial as Julija Daraskievich made shots in a place where photographing is not prohibited.

The lawyer also asked the police officers to recall the circumstances of the detention. However they said they didn’t remember the details.

Julija herself confirmed there had been nothing illegal in her actions as there were no signs prohibiting photographing around the place where shots had been made.

The witnesses were the same persons who participated in trial over Iryna Kozlik.

The commander of special police Aliaksandr Sukhaliot said there were three officers who performed detention, however Ms. Darashkievich disagreed saying there were seven of them: four dressed in uniform and three civil-dressed officers.

Julija Darashkievich managed to tell she and Iryna Kozlik spent a night in remand prison in Minsk. Julija also noted she was proposed a ready-made police report to sign. It was the first source they learned about their charges from.

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As it was reported, Iryna Kozlik was found guilty of unauthorized picketing and fined with Br 3mln (around $360). 

The trial over Julija Darashkievich is currently underway. 

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Iryna Kozlik is the first to stand before the court.

The commander of special police says the officers who arrested journalists were wearing uniform and introduced themselves. The officers thought two women are picketing as they were holding a teddy bear and talking, says trial witness on her Facebook.

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Iryna Kozlik, the correspondent for Komsomolskaya Pravda, and Julija Darashkievich, a freelance photographer, were held on the evening August 8 for solidarity photos with a teddy bear dropped on July 4 by two Swedish pilots.

Initially, the police did not reported on the reason for detention, and the journalists were expected to be released within three hours.

However, around 9 PM Minsk time human rights activists reported Iryna Kozlik and Julija Darashkievich are charged with ‘unauthorized picketing’ and may be sentenced to 15 days’ arrest or fined with ca. $360,

The photosession was the continuation of solidarity project organized by Belarusian journalists to support Anton Surapin and Siarhiej Basharymau arrested over the ‘bear bombing’ on July 4. Around 30 Belarusian journalists and photographers have already made the photos of themselves holding a teddy bear dropped from Swedish plane and found in Minsk. Every photo has the slogan “You screwed up, you answer. Release the journalist!”

As it was previously reported, two persons were arrested over the action by two Swedes who parachuted 1,000 teddy bears over 2 Belarusian towns on July 4.

Anton Surapin — the photographer and journalism student who was the first to upload the photos of the teddy bears on the Internet — and Siarhiej Basharymau — the real estate agent who rented the apartments to pilots’ associates — are currently accused of assistance to illegally cross the state’s border. The two males now may face up to 7 years’ imprisonment.

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