European March applicant Yauhen Afnahel arrested. Authorities spitting upon calls of Europeans

The European March applicant, activist of the civil campaign “Jeans – For Freedom” Yauhen Afnahel was sentenced to 10 days of arrest by Minsk Central Court 8 October. This information was confirmed to Charter’97 site by the staff of the remand jail in Akrestin Street, where the oppositionist was put yesterday. As it became known to Charter’97 site Yauhen Afnahel was under observation since he left The Minsk City Executive Committee where he participated in the negotiations with the city authorities on holding the European March. The oppositionist was meanly caught by the militiamen on fabricated charges. The trial of the applicant of the European March was closed, without a lawyer.

It should be reminded that 8 October activist of the civil campaign “Jeans – For Freedom” Yauhen Afnahel together with other applicants for the European March had an appointment with head of ideological department of the Minsk City Executive Committee Henadz Kurbeka, deputy state prosecutor of Minsk Aliaksandr Stuk and deputy chief of the City Internal Affairs Department Ivan Melnikau. As Yauhen Afnahel said after the negotiations the meting with the city authorities representatives was “constructive”.

“Both sides express the desire to discuss the variants of holding of the European March. Both we and the authorities express the desire to hold a peaceful action. We offered to give the information about the European March on state television, radio and news-papers and asked them to give us the cars with sound amplifiers. It was the first time after many years when the authorities didn’t announce the opposition the ready decision, but were holding a dialog. The Minsk City Executive Committee representatives said the decision will be taken in view of the today’s meeting and will be sent to the European March organizers”, - Yauhen Afnahel said after he left the Minsk City Executive Committee

But in some hours eth oppositionist was arrested. So the Belarusian authorities continue the arrests of the European March organizers despite the calls of the European Union leadership to stop repressions and allow the Belarusian citizens to hold the march peacefully.

In the remand jail in Akrestin Street are kept the European March organizing committee member Zmiter Barodka, democratic activist Leanid Navitski, human rights activist Sviatlana Harohavik, activists of the civil campaign “For Freedom” Ihar Balykin and Ihar Tishko.