Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Victimised for student prank


On December 16th last year, twenty-year-old arts and drama student Hanna Sinkova [see photo], together with some friends, as part of an artistic event /prank /demonstration, call it what you will, fried some eggs and sausages on the Eternal Flame Memorial in Kyiv's 'Park of Eternal Glory'.

According to some reports, the students were protesting about the wasteful consumption of gas at the memorial at a time when many WW2 veterans are receiving meagre pension and living on the 'bread line'.

Absolutely no damage was caused to the memorial, and it is debatable if the behaviour of the students, as recorded on this video, could be considered loutish or abusive.

On 29th March Sinkova was arrested, her apartment searched, and her computer and other personal belongings removed. She was questioned at great length and thrown into a cell together with prostitutes and other down and outs. On 1st April she was charged with 'mocking, or disrespecting [defiling, I suppose] a grave'. If found guilty she could face 5 years in prison.

Prosecutors privately admit that Sinkova, a member of the right-wing 'Svoboda' party, is being persecuted because of big pressure on law enforcement agencies by communists, Vintrenko-ites, anti-fascists, and Russian international organisations..

Ironically, the court in which her hearing was held was itself constructed in the mid-nineties on the site of a cemetery which was bulldozed and its human remains dumped, despite protests.

Last Monday an appeal court refused to release this poor girl on bail. A few days ago former president Kuchma was charged with crimes linking him to the murder of a journalist...but he is free to 'swan around' in a chauffeur-driven limo..

Today students in Lviv staged a protest against minister of Education Dmytro Tabachnyk. Some reports say 1000, others say 3,000 took part..History shows it is not a good idea for governments to radicalise students because, in the end, youth always wins out...and Ukraine will never be ruled by ayatollahs..


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