Activists raising funds for family of Mikhail Zhyznewski

Activists in four countries raising funds for family of Belarusian protester killed in Kyiv.

Activists in four countries have launched a campaign to raise funds for the family of Mikhail Zhyznewski, a 25-year-old Belarusian who was shot dead by police during a violent crackdown on anti-government protesters in Kyiv earlier this week.

People in Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania have been urged to donate money to the man's parents to help pay for the transportation of his body to his home city of Homyel and the funeral, activist Andrey Stryzhak told BelaPAN.

The campaigners have been unable to open charity bank accounts because of the lack of required documents and have urged those willing to donate to meet with them and hand over cash.

"I think these people will leave their phone numbers, so that the family could contact them afterward to say thank you," said Mr. Stryzhak.

He said that the amount needed to have the body transported from Kyiv to Homyel was not known yet.

Mr. Zhyznewski's parents were expected to travel to the Ukrainian capital this week to arrange the transportation of his body to Belarus.