Mass detentions of journalists in Minsk

Independent journalists were detained at Minsk's central railway station.

Charter97.org learnt it from the political prisoner's mother, who is returning to the Belarusian capital from Kuplin, where she was going to meet her son. Pavel Seviarynets was released at night. He was ordered to leave the special detention facility at 3 a.m. and take a train to Minsk to disrupt the plans of journalists and friends who wanted to meet him.

Journalists Zakhar Shcharbakou, Andrei Korsak and Barys Haretski were detained at Minsk's central railway station at 8:20. Radio Svaboda also reports about the detention of Yahor Mayorchyk, Ales Piletski and Siarhei Hudzilin.

Their phones are unavailable.

The police said the detainees would be set free if Pavel Seviarynets didn't organise a rally at the railway station.

BCD co-chairman Vital Rymasheuski, who also was detained, thinks the arrest of journalists and activists at the railway station were a pre-planned action.

“The police disregarded the law again. Police officers detained people without any explanations, without showing documents, though everyone knows that no one planned to have a rally at the railway station. The aim of these actions is to scare, put psychological pressure on Pavel Seviarynets and show that not only Kuplin but entire Belarus is a detention facility,” he noted.

All people were set free 50 minutes after Pavel Seviarynets, who arrived on a train from Brest toMoscow train, left the railway station.