Belarus: LGBT activists detained over artistic protest outside ministry

Three student activists have been detained and fined over an artistic protest supporting LGBT rights outside a Belarusian government ministry in Minsk on 28 June 2018, reported Index on Censorship.

The Belarus Free Theatre Studio Fortinbras students placed rainbow-coloured footprints and pots of flowers at the base of a policeman statue outside the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which had said in a statement on 20 May that same-sex relationships are “fake”.

The statement was in response to the British Embassy displaying a rainbow flag on 17 May, the International Day Against Homophobia.

Activists Olga Romashko, Hope Krapivina and Dmitri Efremov called on the ministry to “transcend prejudices and protect the rights of LGBT people”, according to Radio Svaboda.

The trio and journalist Andrei Shavlyugo, who covered the protest, were held overnight without explanation. Radio Svaboda said they appeared in three different courts the following day and were each fined 73.5 rubles (31.5 euros) for disobeying police.