Homel SWAT officers arrest activists for congratulations on February 23

Three democratic activists came to the central shopping centre in Homel at lunchtime to congratulate people around on the Defender of the Fatherland Day marked in Belarus on February 23.

Kanstantsin Zhukouski, Andrei Papou and Dzmitry Karashkou were handing out greeting cards “Stop drinking! It's time to feed your family and defend your country”, Viasna human rights centre reports.

SWAT officers came to the activists some minutes after the beginning of the action. They detained the guys and took them in an unknown direction.

Independent journalist Larysa Shchyrakova was filming the action, when a man in mufti approached her trying to flirt and hindering to take video of the activists. Journalist's colleagues began to protect her and this probably prevented her from being detained.