Young activists Yauhen Babkovich, Syarhei Shabanau and Ivan Burykin were sentenced to a fine of 1 basic unit each (31,000 BYR) by the court of Chyhunachny district of Vitsebsk. The young people were detained yesterday evening and searched by police only for having spray cans in their bags. They were placed to a detention center. Today they have been found guilty for violation of the Article 156 of the Administrative Code (petty hooliganism). Right after the court they were detained by policemen. At the moment they are placed to the police department of Chyhunachny district of Vitsebsk. One of the detainees, activist Ivan Burykin told to the Charter’97 press-center on the phone that the young people are searched for the second time at the moment. Besides, the head of the police department wants to talk to them.
A young activist Krystsina Shatsikava has been fined 150 basic units (4,650,00o BYR or USD 2,183). For hanging up a national flag in the center if Vitsebsk yesterday Krystsina was first beaten up by policemen and placed to a pre-trial detention center. Today she has been found guilty of Article 167 Part 1 of the Administrative Code for “participation in an unsanctioned rally”. After the court Krystsina was detained by policemen. At the moment she is kept in the police department of Kastrychnitski district of Vitsebsk. A human rights activist Leanid Svetsik has told to the Charter’97 press center with a reference to the head of the police department of Kastrychnitski district that the girl is interrogated as a witness in a criminal case. The policeman has refused to tell for violation of which article the criminal case had been brought up.
The leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich is on a visit to Brussels (Belgium). As the Charter’97 press center was informed, tomorrow Alyaksandr Milinkevich is to meet with European Parliament President Josep Borrel and the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
On the Day of Belarusian Solidarity on June 16 a performance was held in Kyiv on June 16. It was a part of the international campaign “For Freedom of political prisoners in Belarus!” People in prison clothes lined up near the Belarusian embassy, symbolizing political prisoners. A man in mask of the Belarusian KGB chairman Stsyapan Sukharenka came out to them. A man in a mask of Alyaksandr Lukashenka with ice skates and bandy followed him.
As “Bunt” movement representatives told Radio Svaboda, graffiti appeared in Vitsiebsk as a protest against the detentions of young oppositionists held yesterday and as a display of solidarity with Krystsina Shatsikava who had hoisted a flag over a summer theater yesterday. During the detentions, the police beat the girl in head, thus instead of an isolation cell the girl was delivered to the emergency ward.
On June 16, the Solidarity Day, a candle-action was held in the town of Svietlagorsk, Gomel region. A group of young people with white-red-white ribbons and badges “For Freedom” gathered at the crossing of three streets close to the city quay. At 8 p.m. the young people lit candles and spent 15 minutes keeping in hands.
It seems now a Vitsiebsk tradition to come together near the Cross of Yazafat Kuntsevich on the Solidarity Day. 20 young people gathered at the bank of the river Dzvina and lit candles on June 16.
On the Day of Belarusian Solidarity a national white-red-white flag was hanged up on one of the ski jumping boards of the sports complex Raubuchy near Minsk at the height of several dozens meters.
Another action of solidarity with the victims of political repressions exercised by the Belarusian regime, took place in Washington, June 16. Representatives of the Belarusian Diaspora, American non-governmental and student organizations were particularly concerned about the health of the opposition youth organizations’ activists who were holding the hunger strike against criminal persecution and illegal detentions. This time, the demonstrators were joined by Iryna Kazulina - the wife of ex-candidate for the Presidential post Aliaksandr Kazulin, Aleg Volchak - the head of A.Kazulin’s legal service and leader of the civil initiative “We Remember” Iryna Krasouskaya.
40 activists of the campaign “For Freedom!” took part in the action dedicated to the Day of Solidarity with political prisoners, which was held June 16. At 22.30 they marched in a long chain along the key streets of the city - Masherau and Savietskaya Streets - with candles in hands.
15 more people were detained yesterday in Vitsiebsk. 13 of them are young members of the newly organized movement “Bunt” (“Riot”), and other 2 are Tatsiana, the mother of political prisoner Paval Sieviarynets, and Siargey Sierabro, a photo correspondent of the newspaper “Vitiebskiy Kurier”.
On the 16th day of every month at 8 p.m. people gather in the central square of Salihorsk, holding candles and portraits of disappeared politicians and political prisoners. This month candles were lit on the square again. About 50 protesters gathered on the square to demonstrate their solidarity with families of disappeared public activists, with political prisoners and those who continue hunger strike.
Belarusians in Moscow laid flowers to the monument of Yanka Kupala, a Belarusian poet and fighter for freedom. Candles of solidarity with political prisoners and victims of political repressions in Belarus were lit under the monument.
On June 16, on the Day of Solidarity with Belarus, a Union of Belarusians of Germany held a protest near Russian Consulate in Munich. The Charter’97 press center was informed about that by the Union of Belarusians of Germany Yauhen Murashka.
Seven young people were detained by police on June 17 near the summer amphitheatre in Vitsebsk. Activists of the newly created movement “Bunt” (“Revolt”) were handing out leaflets to passers-by. It was written in the leaflets “Belarus is your house, and not a stall for a swinish regime! Lukashenka is keeping power illegally. No more fear and tolerance! We are many! Join the non-violent resistance! Act in the name of freedom of your country!” Arrests of the young activists lasted for almost the whole day, the Radio Svaboda informed.
On June 18 a young activist Khrystsina Shatsikava climbed a lighting mast in the center of Vitsebsk, where a song festival “Slavonic Bazaar” is held. She placed a white-red-white flag, which stayed there for about an hour.
Hundreds thousands of people in Belarus and all over the world for the 9th time have marked the Day of Belarusian Solidarity on June 16. Belarusians lit candles of Freedom and Solidarity with political prisoners, families of political prisoners, with all who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus. They gathered I the squares of their towns and cities. In Minsk more than 100 persons have come to the Russian Embassy, in order to express protest to Russia’s support to Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s regime. The rally was brutally cracked down on. 45 participants were arrested. Dwellers of Brest, Mahilyou, Maladzechna, Zhodzina, Baranavichy, Vitsebsk, Svetlahorsk and other Belarusian cities came to the streets and lit candles of solidarity. Pickets and demonstrations were held in front of Belarusian and Russian Embassies in Ukraine, Poland, Belgium, Germany and the USA. The information about rallies held all over the world on this day is coming.
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