Artsybashau taken into custody for 15 days

Activist Aliaksandr Artsybashau has been taken into custody for 15 days.

He was found guilty of disobeying orders of police officers, Radio Svaboda reports.

Road police officer Azhirei gave his evidence against Artsybashau in a court.

Azhirei said the activist refused to get into a road police car to write a traffic ticket and tried to run away. Artsybashau said it was a lie. The activist says the road police officer took him to a doctor, because he allegedly felt alcohol smell. A blood test showed Artsybashau was sober.

Aliaksandr Artsybashau drove to a police department to give a lift to his friend Pavel Vinahradau, who went to the police for a check on March 13. Vinahradau was detained as he was leaving the police department.

Road police officers detained Artsybashau later. Both spent the night in a detention facility.