Victar Ivashkevich: "The left hand doesn't know what the right one does... and the head doesn't work at all"

Chairman of the organizational committee of the European March was discharged from the court-room of Pershamayski Internal Affairs Department today. The judge sent his case to “revision”. “"The left hand doesn't know what the right one does... and the head doesn't work at all"”, - co-chairman of the BNF Party commented his own arrest and discharge to Charter’97 press center.

Victar Ivashkevich, , co-chairman of the BNF Party and Valer Uhnalou, co-chairman of Belarusian Party of Communists were arrested in the evening 25 September when leaving the cafe “El Pomidoro” in Chyrvonaya Street in Minsk center. The politicians were celebrating Victar Ivashkevich’s 48th birthday. When they went out of the cafe, the bus with riot militiamen (OMON) drove up to them. The riot militiamen accused the famous politicians of breach of the peace and pushed them into the bus.

The riot militiamen asked the politicians to show their documents. But at the same time the OMON militiamen hadn’t their badges. After V. Ivashkevich and V. Uhnalou demanded the riot militiamen to introduce themselves, a lieutenant Shpakouski appeared. He introduced himself and said that the politicians were suspected of disorderly conduct. V. Ivashkevich and V. Uhnalou were guarded to Pershamayski Internal Affairs Department.

Valer Uhnalou was discharged soon. As human rights activist Uladzimer Labkovich said to Сharter’97 press center, a report under two articles (“appearing in public places in a state of intoxication” and “violation of organizational rules and holding of mass meetings”) was drawn up against the Chairman of the organizational committee of the European March. Ivashkevich is accused of spreading leaflets with the call to take part in the European March.

The representatives of Embassies of the EU countries visited the court of Pershamayski District where the trial was taking place. After the discharge the head of the Section Office of the Swedish Embassy in Minsk Stefan Eriksson offered Viktar Ivashkevich a lift and the politician left the court in a diplomatic car.