OMON tried to disperse picket in support of Kazulin

24 October the permitted by the Belarusian authorities 3 hours picket in solidarity with Aliaksandr Kazulin took place in Minsk. After half an hour of the action start, an armored vehicle with the security forces agents in civvies – supposedly OMON soldiers (riot police) drove to the participants. Ihar Rynkevich, deputy head of the Belarusian Socio-Democratic Party (Hramada) said about it to Charter’97 press center.

The OMON soldier harshly pushed away Kazulin’s daughters, participating in the picket, torn a big poster with the words “Freedom to Aliaksandr Kazulin! Candidate to Belarusian presidency thrown to prison for 5.5 years”. The people were watched by an OMON sergeant in uniform.

The rushed to the picket participants security forces agents demanded the permission of the Minsk City Executive Committee for the picket holding. Applicant Ales Straltsou showed the documents. After that the OMON soldier left the participants alone and drove away.

The picket participants were gathering the signatures under the appeal to Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Kazulin colleagues consider his criminal persecution to have political motives, and the conviction of the candidate for presidency to be unlawful.

The militiamen in civvies watched the action. They also were making video record of the participants.