Russian Embassy in Minsk told the names of Russian citizens arrested during the demonstration in Minsk on April 26. They all have been sentenced to arrests from 5 to 15 days. Vice consul Dmitry Bogdanov refused to comment on the events and redirected our journalist to press attach? Alexandr Frolov. However, Alexandr Frolov finished his working day as usual at 6 p.m. and was not available on the phone.
Lukashenka marked the annual anniversary of Chernobyl disaster with mass arrests and beatings of Belarusian, Ukrainian and Russian citizens. Street actions in Minsk and Mahiliou were suppressed by riot police. Among the detainees are 8 citizens of Ukraine, 14 Russians, 14 “Zubr” activists, activist of UCP Marina Bagdanovich, leaders of “Malady front” and “BPS”.
The rally of Zubr activists in Mahilyou ended in disbanding and arrests. The protest was dedicated to the 19th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power station accident. During the action about tow dozens of young people lined up by the Mahilyou city executive committee. The faces of the activists were covered with headbands with the signs of radioactive danger.
Yesterday the Belarusian TV in its evening news program reported that on April 26 activists of youth organizations from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus had staged something like a riot in Minsk. To prove that the ATN correspondents showed an ash-bin on fire in front of a restaurant in the center of Minsk. But the participants of yesterdays’ events informed the Charter’97 press center that in realty policemen of the Minsk SWAT had set the ash-bin on fire. The eyewitnesses state that the riot policemen seized the banner of the Russian movement “Marching without Putin” and put a match to it.
Russian citizen, Alexei Ametov, a reporter of the magazine “Russian Newsweek”, has been sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest. The public association “Belarusian Association of Journalists” was informed about it in the administration of the court of Lenin district court of Minsk.
Amnesty International is concerned that the Belarusian authorities have become intolerant of any public criticism or dissent. The rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly are enshrined in various international human rights treaties, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Belarus is a party, and is bound to uphold and observe. Yet it is with growing concern that Amnesty International has observed that action based on peaceful political beliefs has become near to impossible. The Belarusian authorities are increasingly employing harassment, intimidation, excessive force, mass detentions and long-term imprisonment as methods to quash any civil or political dissent.
“The Belarusian regime must release all the demonstrators detained yesterday, as there hasn’t been any threat to the precious life of Lukashenka. There was no sense in detaining the youth activists and reporters. The actions of the Belarusian authorities seem not to be governed by common sense at all,” stated prominent Russian politician, former Vice-Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, advisor of Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko Boris Nemtsov in his interview to the press center of the Charter’97, commenting on the arrests of Belarusian, Ukrainian and Russian activists in Minsk. “The actions of Lukashenko are paranoid, he fears revolution so much! But please report my words to him, that the revolution won’t take place now, but he is simply doomed to it. Lukashenko is a thorn in the democratic Europe’s side, and the thorn must be removed. The fewer crimes Lukashenko would commit, the more lenient the international Themis would be to him. However he richly deserves The Hague Tribunal already”.
The leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich is sentenced to 12 days of arrest by the court of Lenin district of Minsk. The activist of the Young Front Pavel Lisichonak has been sentenced to 10 days of arrest. Maryna Bahdanovich, the chairman of the Minsk regional organization of the United Civil Party, was fined to 150 basic units (more than 3,500,000 rubles). They all are charged with participation in the unsanctioned mass rally (Article 167 Part 1 of the Administrative Code).
The leader of the All-Ukrainian youth organization “National Alliance”, deputy of Lutsk city council Ihor Guz was taken to the court today severely beaten, the human rights center Viasna informs. The Ukrainian deputy has spent the night in the special detention center of Minsk executive committee Interior Affairs Department, together with other detained participants of protest action in Minsk. About 40 protesters were detained yesterday, mostly activists of Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian youth movements.
The leader of the Russian movement “Marching Without Putin” Vadim Rezvyj was sentenced to 10 days of arrest by the court of Lenin district of Minsk. The Russian was charged with participation in unsanctioned mass meeting (Article 167 Part 1 of the Administrative code). The representatives of the Russian Embassy were not present at the court.
Alexei Amet was detained yesterday in Minsk, the human rights center Viasna informs. As we have reported, a journalist of Russian newspaper “Moskovskiy Komsomolets”, Mikhail Romanov, was detained yesterday as well. The both journalist together with other detainees have spent the night in the special detention center in Akrastsyn Street.
Yesterday a journalist of Russian newspaper “Moskovskiy Komsomolets”, Mikhail Romanov, was arrested together with the members of Russian youth organizations, Yabloko’s youth branch, the youth branch of Union of Right Forces, the movements “Marching Without Putin” and “Oborona” (Defence). The Charter’97 press center was informed about it by the lawyer of human rights center Viasna Uladzimir Labkovich. According to the report of the human rights activist, yesterday he had not been released from the police department like other Russian citizens, and he is to stand trial today with other detainees. The information is being confirmed now.
While disbanding the protest action in Minsk on April 26 Minsk riot policemen tore the national flag of Ukraine, Radio Svaboda informs. As we have informed, yesterday activists of Belarusian, Ukrainian and Russian youth organizations gathered with the aim to deliver the petition to Alyaksandr Lukashenka with a demand to accord special priority to Chernobyl accident’s aftermaths. Many activists had national flags in their hands. About 40 participants of the protests were detained.
Today 14 citizens of Russia and 8 Ukrainians were taken to the court of Lenin district of Minsk, the human rights center Viasna informed the Charter’97 press center. The names of several Russians are known: Ilya Yashin, Vitaly Reznikov, Alexei Amet, Mikhail Romanov, Mikhail Permiakov, Semion Burd, Pavel Elizarov, Irina Vorobiova. Ukrainians were taken to the court as well. Among them is the leader of the All-Ukrainian youth public association “National Alliance”, deputy of Lutsk city council Ihor Guz. They are to stand trial today together with Belarusian opposition activists Maryna Bahdanovioch, Zmitser Dashkevich, Pavel Lisichonak, Syarzhuk Vysotski.
Activists of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) on Tuesday staged rallies across Belarus to mark the 19th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Around 30 BPF members marched down central streets in Brest, holding candles and passing out leaflets, according to Dmitry Shimansky, head of the city’s BPF chapter. One of the demonstrators was picked up by police and was expected to be charged with a minor civil offense.
The United Civic Party (UCP) has suggested that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarusian-Russian Union State join international calls for setting up an independent commission to investigate the disappearances of Aleksandr Lukashenko’s opponents and several controversial cases that landed Belarusian opposition figures in prison.
The United Civic Party (UCP) has called on the international community and non-governmental organizations to launch a campaign to support three prominent opposition figures who are facing prison sentences over unauthorized anti-government protests.
The trials over the participants of the protest action that has been held yesterday in the center of Minsk, are to start today in the court of the Lenin district of Minsk. Among the detainees are the leader of the All-Ukrainian youth public association “National Alliance”, deputy of Lutsk city council Ihor Guz, the chairperson of Minsk regional branch of the United Civil Party Maryna Bahdanovioch, the leader of the Belarusian youth organization “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich, and activist of the Young Front Pavel Lisichonak, the leader of the Freedom Party Syarzhuk Vysotski and others.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has called on the international community to support Chernobyl relief projects in Belarus. “Today marks the nineteenth anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear power plant accident in history. Almost two decades later, the three countries most affected-Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine-continue to grapple with daunting social, economic, and environmental consequences,” says a statement issued by the UN top official on April 26.
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