31 March 2008
Artist Marachkin expresses anger over last week’s jailing

Prominent artist Alyaksey Marachkin expressed outrage over his last week’s arrest and jailing.

The painter was apprehended in his studio in Minsk on March 24 and sentenced to five days in jail the following day on a charge of using obscene language.

“The most abhorrent thing in my jailing is that police officers accused me of speaking profanities and putting up resistance,” Mr. Marachkin said in an interview with BelaPAN following his release from jail on March 29.

The 68-year-old artist, who speaks Belarusian as the first language, said that the tongue has no profane words and the police accusations could not be true.

The police seized The Dolls, a famous painting by Mr. Marachkin that depicts Belarusian top government officials in a satirical manner, as well as Belarusian Popular Front flags, banners and posters from the artist’s studio.

Mr. Marachkin, who linked his jailing to a March 25 demonstration in Minsk, announced plans to push for the return of the items.