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Belarusian Party of Greens ready to pay fine imposed on woman over bicycle ride

The Belarusian Party of the Greens (BPG) on Wednesday expressed readiness to pay a fine imposed on a woman in Minsk for organizing a bicycle ride that took place in the Belarusian capital on August 17.

Iryna Biynik was formally charged by the police on August 28 and sentenced to the fine of two million rubels ($220) by a judge of the Maskowski District Court last week.

Dressed in the 1960s style, scores of cyclists rode from Independence Square in front of the House of Government to Karl Marx Street, where they had a stopover for a dance party, before cycling along the city's thoroughfare, Independence Avenue, to the National Library on the northeastern edge of the city.

In its statement, the BPG described the fine as evidence of the lack of a fair and impartial judicial system in Belarus.

The party expressed surprise that the authorities were targeting a "creative event" that had received positive media coverage and improved the image of Minsk.

The statement called on the public to display solidarity with Ms. Biynik.

When reached by BelaPAN, BPG members said that they had already contacted Ms. Biynik and were deciding whether the fine should be appealed.