The singer who was convicted for the song by "Okean Elzy" managed to escape from Belarus: Mariyem Herasymenko shared a photo from the plane

Belarusian singer Mariyem Herasymenko, who was convicted for performing a song by the Ukrainian band "Okean Elzy", was able to leave Belarus. In August 2022, the girl sang the famous hit "Hugs" at a street concert in the center of Minsk.

After that, the artist was sentenced to three years of so-called domestic labor, a form of restriction of liberty. However, on January 16, 2023, Mariyem Herasymenko posted a photo on her Instagram page showing an airplane window.

In the post, the girl thanked the BYSOL Foundation, which helped evacuate her from Belarus. She noted that she considers freedom to be happiness. "Freedom of movement, freedom of thought, freedom to do what you love and what you are passionate about," Mariyem Herasymenko wrote.

The organization's founder, Andrii Stryzhak, said on his Facebook page that the operation was time-consuming, interesting, and difficult. He also added that the opposition and security forces viewed Mariyem Herasymenko's speech as an anti-war demarche.

Together with the singer, they managed to evacuate the owner of the Banks-Plashki bar, Andrii Zhuk, and his wife. Meriem performed a Ukrainian song on the premises of this establishment, and Zhuk himself was also sentenced to restriction of liberty.

After the performance in the summer of 2022, in October of the same year, a criminal case was opened against Mariyem Herasymenko. In January 2023, the singer was found guilty of "active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order."

As a reminder, Mariyem Herasymenko is a Belarusian singer known for her participation in the singing show "The Voice" in Ukraine and Russia.

The girl has repeatedly sung songs by Ukrainian artists on the streets of Minsk, but it was her performance in August 2022 that attracted the attention of pro-government bloggers.

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