Arrests On the Day Of Love :: Charter'97 :: News

6 young men were detained by men in mufti on February 14 on St. Valentine’s Day at the Svaboda Square in Minsk. On this day the Young Front planned an action of making a declaration of love of the Belarusian youth to the European countries, not only of sweethearts to each other. The authorities prevented the action’s realization, Radio Racyja informs.

About 20 young people came in the noon to the Svaboda Square where the action was to start. In the vicinity to the square men in mufti detained leaders of the Young Front Paval Sevyarynets and 5 other guys, mostly underage.

As human rights center “Viasna” informs, Paval Sevyarynets, Barys Harecky, Ales’ Vasilewsky, Attsyom Litvinaw, Andrej Shybko, Yulya Sipovich are among the detained.
They were taken to the police department of the Central District, were they were asked to provide explanations; statements of the case were drawn up relating the article 167 of the Administrative Code (violations of the mass actions’ order). At 3 p.m. everybody was released.

There were more journalists at the Svaboda Square than participants of the action, that had not taken place. A high police officer, responsible for the order during mass actions in the streets of the capital, colonel Pyotar Varabyow tried to send reporters to the event “Minsk ski-track”, which took place on the same day at the same time in another part of the city.

The authorities again frustrated the planned action of the Young Front by preventive detentions, though this peaceful action was not of any danger to the authorities.