Mathematics laws are above all

The Belarusian opposition planned to hold the European March scheduled for October 14 together with the authorities, breaking the tradition. The opposition offered a dialogue to the authorities and addressed the President’s Administration with a letter proposing to hold the March together.

Arrests of the organizers came in reply. Last Monday the police arrested Zmitser Barodka, a member of the organization committee of the March, democratic activist Leanid Navitsky and human rights activist Sviatlana Garokhavik. Road police stopped their car, but instead of an ordinary documents control the activists were taken to the police station.

Before that, chairperson of the organization committee Viktar Ivashkievich was detained. The police burst into the cafй where he was celebrating his birthday and took him right to the Piershamaiski district police station. Ivashkievich spent the whole night there. He was taken to the court on the next day, but the judge found the police protocols unconvincing and ordered to work more on them. Ivashkievich was released. This unexpected exoneration can be easily explained from the arithmetical point of view: even in case Viktar Ivashkievich had been sentenced to 15 days of arrest (which is the ultimate punishment for an administrative violation) he would have been released by October 14. And the Belarusian authorities tend to isolate activists and organizers several days before actions.

Last Tuesday the court of Piershamaiski district sentenced Zmitser Barodka and Leanid Navitsky to 15 days of arrest. Human rights activist Sviatlana Garokhavik will bear company. According to the police protocols, they were arrested by OMON (not by road police) in Zaslauskaya Street (which is very far from the actual detention place) for distributing leaflets (not while driving). Two police officers – the activists saw them for the first time in their lives – described the arrest using well-learnt phrases.

That is a clear reply of the authorities to the opposition’s offer of a dialogue.

The opposition understood the reply. And now the European March will take place no matter whether it will be allowed or not, and the opposition will hold it on Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk.