Nine detained for holding unauthorized picket in Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

Nine people were detained on 7 March in Navapolatsk (Vitsebsk Region) during an event entitled "The chain of people who care". Belapan learnt at the press service of the BPF-Revival Party [Belarusian People`s Front], a Radio Liberty correspondent and BPF-Revival Party member, Vintses Mudrow, the chairman of the local branch of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada, Ihar Valyayew, the leader of the local cell of the United Civic Party, Alyaksandr Tsyarentsyew, and the head of the local branch of the BPF-Revival Party, Dzmitryy Salawyow, were among those detained. Also arrested were United Civic Party members Syarhey Zabrodski, Valeryy Shawchenka, Ihar Sukharukaw, a BPF-Revival Party activist, Alyaksandr Trubkin and a passer-by, Ihar Makanu.

"The chain of people who care" to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the disappearance of a former Belarusian interior minister, Yuryy Zakharanka, was held by Navapolatsk activists of the Five-Plus Popular Coalition. They gathered in the city`s central square, holding the photos of the missing opposition politicians [former Interior Minister] Yuryy Zakharanka and [former deputy speaker of parliament] Viktar Hanchar, businessman Anatol Krasowski and journalist [from Russia`s Channel One] Dmitriy Zavadskiy.

The event lasted for 20 minutes. All the participants were rounded up by the police and taken to a police station. Administrative protocols were drawn up in accordance with Article 167-1 Item 2 of the Administrative Code (organization of a picket). Most were served with court summons. The trial is scheduled to take place on 10 May in Navapolatsk.