Candidate in Khotsimsk detained by police

On March 23, the police detained a candidate for seats in the Mahilou district and regional councils, Valery Karankevich.

The politician was set free, BelaPAN reports. Valery Karankevich was monitoring the voting process at a ballot station. “I was detained one minute before the polling station was closed. I wasn't able to monitor the election for 40 minutes,” he said.

The candidate says the incident happened, because he revealed violations of the voting process in Khotsimsk. “KGB officers want to influence the election process. One of the commission members (I pointed his name) gave them the lists of people, who signed for proposing me as a candidate. This person complained to the police about me,” Karankevich said.

The candidate says he said to the police they should either make a report or let him go to observe the vote counting process. “I promised to return to the police department with a copy of the voting results report, and they allowed me to go,” the politician said.