Today at 7 p.m. Polish time another action of Solidarity was held in front of the Russian Embassy in Warsaw. More than 30 Poles and Belarusians have taken part in it. A performance was held in the beginning “Integration rope pulling”. Part of the participants was wearing Putin masks, and others had Lukashenka’s masks. They held a competition pulling a rope attached to a man with a T-shirt with “Belarus” written on it. However, “Belarus” hadn’t given in, and defeated the two groups.
In Maladzechna more than 30 citizens have taken part in the rally on the Day of Solidarity. Young activist and other citizens gathered in the central square of the city with lit candles and marched to a memorial stone to “Martyrs of Freedom and Independence of Belarus”. They laid white and red flowers there.
“Malady Front” activist Nastassia Azarka was hospitalized to the Minsk region clinic on the 12th day of the hunger strike, as “Malady Front” leader Zmitser Dashkevich told the press-center of Charter’97. Zmitser himself has been keeping to the hunger strike for 16 days already. Doctors are concerned with his health condition, but the young oppositionist doesn’t plan to cease the hunger strike.
On the Day of Solidarity in Baranavichy (Brest region) 15 young activists gathered on the central square of the town, Lenin square. They were wearing jeans, and had candles of solidarity in their hands. They showed solidarity with political prisoners, families of disappeared opposition leaders, with those who struggle for freedom and democracy in Belarus, Young activists were standing on the square for 20 minutes. Policemen observed the protest, but nobody was detained.
In Mahilyou during a flash-mob dedicated to another Day of Solidarity, protesters were detained. Among them are a leader of the regional branch of the Belarusian Popular Front party Ryhor Kastusyou, the UCP activist Syarhei Straltsoum Iryna Kacharova, and young activists Katsyaryna Illina and Natallya Padolskaya.
Detained activists are taken from the police department of Tsentralny district of Minsk in buses. They are taken to outskirts of Minsk and released, the Charter’97 press center was informed by a young activist Pavel Yukhnevich. He and several more activists were thrown away from a bus near a football exercising area in Masherau (Victors) Avenue.
The Charter’97 press center has received names of opposition activists detained today near the Embassy of Russian Federation. 45 names of activists are reported: Mikhail Kandrashou, Volha Kustova, Syarhei Lasy, Alyaksei Lyaukovich, Natallya Ushko, Andrei Kuzminski, Ruslan Matsveeu, Ivan Burykin, Dzmitry Fedaruk, Pavel Davidovich, Arseny Tsedryk, A. Alferovich, S. Barysevich, V. Lokau, Dzmitry Kuchynski, Lubou Kuchynskaya, Zmitser Barodka, Kiryl Paponau, V. Salaruk, Mikhail Shubach, Iryna Zavadskaya, Valery Yankouski, Krystsina Shatsikava, R. Sharaponau, V. Hrygoryeu, Ales Kalita, A. Shakalevich, Alyaksandr Kurbatski, Mikhail Shutsyankou, Yuliya Harachka, Anastasiya Charankova, Ludmila Majorava, Ales Usenka, Ivan Shablinski, Pavel Varabjou, Andrei Babitski, Danila Barysevich, Ivan Shutko, Vlad Petrushenka, Uladzimr Mikhailkou, Alyaksandr Savrytski, Aleh Ubazhenko, Hanna Kamkar, Yulian Hajduk, Dzina Palynskaya.
“We have held another action of solidarity, while the powers have held another action of frightening. However, they looked silly instead of being scary. The territory adjacent to the food store in Kamunistychnaya Street, 46, was announced a restricted area, which is more than ridiculous, even though the store is located opposite an Embassy. The young people arrested today will in any case come again and again. Those who managed to avoid arrest didn’t escape - they reached the Embassy despite the police cordon, they lit candles and stated their own position outspokenly. We will again come out to the streets on July 16, we will light candles one more time, we will express our solidarity and move one more step closer to the Belarus that we want to live in,” - journalist Iryna Khalip, one of the initiators of the Days of Belarusian solidarity, commented on the detentions held near the Russian Embassy in Minsk, to the press-center of Charter’97.
Policemen of the police department of Tsentralny district of Minsk called in an ambulance for a young activist Lubou Kuchynskaya, detained near the Russian Embassy in Minsk today. Kuchynskaya was taken bad. As said by her, a riot policeman in mufti hit her. A girl was taken to a hospital number 9 in Minsk. As we have informed, in May Kuchynskaya was taken to a hospital after being beaten up by riot policemen, and diagnosed a “hypertensic crisis”.
Policemen of the police department of Tsentralny district of Minsk refuse to call in an ambulance for a detained young activist Lubou Kuchynskaya. A girl was taken bad. As said by her, a riot policeman in mufti hit her during detention. As we have informed, in May, after beaten up by a policeman, Kuchynskaya was hospitalized with a diagnosis “hypertensic crisis”.
A young activist Pavel Yukhnevic, detained near Russian Embassy today, has called the Charter’97 press center. He said that detainees are placed to a of the police department of Tsentralny district of Minsk. Many of them are beaten up, their clothes are torn. The Charter’97 press center journalists saw that a young activist Lubou Kuchynskaya was beaten up in a bus. As we have informed, in May she was beaten up by riot policemen, and she was placed to a hospital with a diagnosis “hypertensic crisis”. A human rights activist Ales Kalita is among detainees.
10 youth movements’ activists have just been detained near the Minsk city Central court, close to the Russian Embassy. OMON soldiers arrested the people and violently carried them into buses. The OMON and police have cordoned off the Russian Embassy. Nobody is allowed to stay even on the opposite side of the street. Moreover, it is declared that Kamunistychnaya Street is now a restricted area from 6 p.m. till 10 p.m. Nevertheless, the Belarusians don’t leave the Embassy, they are still staying close to is, in M.Bagdanovich Street.
Studying the case of Partnerstva activists in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk has been extended for a month. The court chairman has allowed studying the case for a moth more. As we have informed, activists of an unregistered organization Partnerstva are to be tried by Judge Leanid Yasinovich, who sentenced to three years of corrective works oppositionists Mikola Statkevich and Paval Sevyarynets last year.
During the visit to the National Library that has opened today, Alyaksandr Lukashenka stated that history books was his favourite reading for a long time, but now he has to give it up because “historical facts and a role of personalities in history are distorted”. “Now I do not read many books, after I have learnt how they are written, especially my favourite history books. I thought before that truth is written there, but as it turned out, they contain 80% of lies about historical personalities, heads of states”. “And comparing to my knowledge about Soviet leaders, proceeding from Vladimir Lenin, Iosif Stalin and today’s leaders, lies are reaching 100 per cent today,” the Belarusian dictator said.
Today, on the Day of Solidaity, a young leader Mikita Sasim, is released after three months of arrest in Baranavichy pre-trial detention center. Mikita Sasim is found guilty of draft evasion, thought he had been granted a deferral after a brain injury received during peaceful protest disband on September 16, 2005. The young leader was arrested on March 14, a few days before the presidential elections. Amnesty International has recognized Mikita Sasim a prisoner of conscience.
An interview of Mikita Sasim to our site is expected.
An inhabitant of Homel Uladzimir Nyapomnyashchyh demands that his mail box should be changed after an issue of "Sovetskaja Byelorussia" was put into it.
On June 16 an entrepreneur Mikalay Autukhovich was not taken to the court becuase of his state of helath. As the BelaPAN was reported by his lawyer Halina Ivanova, M. Autukhovich is now under a dropper. He is treated after a dry hunger strike that lasted from May 23 to June 9. “He has low blood pressure, but as far as I know, he feels alright. He plans to participate in the trial, but he cannot do so because of the state of health. The hearings of the court are rescheduled for Monday, June 19. The trial is to start at 2.30 p.m.,” the lawyer said.
A public association “Mahilyou Human Rights Center” (MHRC) has received a letter from Mahilyou regional department of justice. State officials have recommended MHRC to cancel a provision from their statute that “human rights center in line with the law provides protection of rights and legal interests of citizens in courts, state bodies and public associations”.
As the Fund “Open Estonia” reports, a solidarity action in support for the Belarusian democratic forces is to be held in the Estonian town of Piarnu on June 16. According to the organizers of the action, “this event is designed to show our support for those Belarusians who want to see their country free and democratic.”
This year the 15th anniversary International Festival of Arts “Slavic Bazaar” is likely to be held without Ukraine, which is regarded by the Belarusian part as a world scandal. The day of Ukraine within the festival is held every year. This time the Ukrainian performances are to be staged by honored artist Vasiliy Vovkun; all participants have already been appointed.
On June 15 in Moscow four skinheads beaten a citizen of Belarus Kanstantsin Belyavets. The Chartyer’97 press center was informed about that by his father-in-law, a designer Andrei Azarau. Skinheads attacked a 15-year-old Kanstantsin and brutally beaten up. Boy’s jaw was broken, his phone seized. The skinheads were shouting: “Glory to Russia”. The victim was placed to the 36th hospital of Moscow.
Another protest rally in front of the Belarusian Embassy is to take place today, June 16, in the capital of the USA. It will be held under slogans of solidarity with victims of political repressions of the Belarsuain regime, and with young oppositionists, who continue a hunger strike of protest against crackdown and illegal arrests of political activists.
Russian President Vladimir Putin observes no progress in the process of creation of the “union state” with Belarus, but he is convinced Russia cannot impose the union on Belarus. At the same time, there are effects of the actual integration process - within Evrasec and SES (Single Economic Space), in particular.
This is the sentence passed by judge Tatsiana Rybakova on the criminal case brought by Orsha prosecutor’s office. As Radio Svaboda reports, the court found M.Rozumau’s guilty on article 367 of the Criminal Code; the resolution is based on the testimonies and video record of a meeting of Aliaksandar Milinkevich with voters held on February 24.
Jewish leader in Belarus has sent a letter to Belarusian officials arguing that a local prosecutor illegally forced a Jewish kindergarten teacher to remove Jewish symbols from classrooms.
Yakov Basin, the deputy leader of the country’s Jewish community, sent the letter last month, after the prosecutor said Lyudmila Izakson-Bolotovskaya violated the law by holding Jewish religious celebrations inside the school, which is located in a government-owned building in the city of Mogilev.
Sudan and Belarus inked a military cooperation protocol covering training, exchange of experiences, and military science fields. Minister of Defence Gen. Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein signed for Sudan while Minister of National Defence of Belarus signed for Belarus side.
A young leader Mikita Sasim was to be released today from Baranavichy detention center at 9 a.m. However, as the Charter’97 press-center was informed, he is still in prison. The administration of the colony says he can be released in the afternoon or later. A police bus and a police car have been standing near the building of the detention center since early morning. Policemen are apparently afraid that too many people will come to meet Mikita Sasim.
Reporters Without Borders today voiced support for the political asylum request which Andrei Shentorovich, the founder and editor of the Belarusian independent weekly Mestnaya Gazeta, made yesterday in Ukraine.
Yesterday in Minsk at 7 p.m. near Yakub Kolas square about 30 young activists and common citizens were arrested. A flash-mob “Ideal Citizens” was planned by the movement “Initsiativa” on the square at that time.
Initiators of holding Days of Solidarity with Belarus have called upon Belarusian citizens to come to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Minsk (Staravilenskaya Street, 48) and bring candles and portraits of Belarusian abducted and political prisoners and demand to stop support of the Belarusian regime. The Belarusians abroad and all those who are concerned over the fate of Belarus, are also called upon to come to Russian embassies and missions in different cities of the world. Initiators of the Days of Solidarity note that out of all neighbouring countries, only the leadership of Russia had recognized the rigged results of the presidential elections in Belarus, and as before provides support to dictator Lukashenka. However, the initiators of the protest believe, Russia can demand Lukashenka stop repressions against political opponents and the civil society.
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