Today at noon a public activist Krystsina Shatsikava has been released from Mahilyou mental hospital. As K. Shatsikava told to BelaPAN, doctors haven’t formed a diagnosis. “At my meetings with doctors no questions had any concern with medicine. I was asked about my acquaintances, about who visits me, who phones me. It means that its pure politics, and not medicine. My mother was told that I am mentally sound, but just an unorthodox person,” K. Shatsikava said.

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Today the court trial of the activists of the opposition detained during the last three days in Minsk and the regions is being held. All the detained were charged of minor disorderly conduct The oppositionists were charged of using curse words. During the term of preparation for the day of Freedom and its celebration over 100 people were arrested all over the Belarusian regions.

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25 March the “Ukrainian First Lukashenka’s Cup in Skiing on the Asphalted Pavement “action was taken in the Maidan Nezalezhnosty Square in Kiev within the “Belarusian Spring” campaign conducted by the local party “Pora”(“It’s high time).

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Workers of a special detention center of Minsk city executive committee in Akrestsin Street refuse to accept food parcels for detained opposition activists. According to updated information of the headquarters of the leader of the democratic forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich, 97 persons have been arrested in different parts of Belarus before and during Freedom Day on March 25. Representatives of the detention facility refer to the new Administrative Code which forbids bringing food to persons serving an administrative arrest. Only hygienic items, clothes and footwear are allowed.

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“The head of the state remains in his residence in Minsk, adopts reports of officials, works with documents. Everything goes on according to a usual routine,” the BelaPAN was told by the head of the press-service of the president Pavel Lyokhki. Recently rumours on the web were disseminated that Alyaksandr Lukashenka hadn’t appeared in public long because of problems with his health. Last time he appeared on TV was March 10, when he took part in an opening ceremony of Krasnaya Polyana ski resort in Russia.

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A citizen of Ukraine Anastasia Zhyukova has been sentenced to 3 days of administrative arrest. This decision has been taken by the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk on Macrh 26, a representative of the press-service of the United Civil Party Katsyaryna Tkachenka told to BelaPAN.

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Today in the police department of Pershamajski district of Vitsebsk a human rights activist and journalist Valery Schukin has been charged with violation of Article 189 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus. He told about that to the Charter’978 press-center. Schukin faces a detention for up to 2 years.

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Today opposition activists detained before and during the rally on Freedom Day stand trials in different courts of Minsk. A young leader Alyaksandr Atroschankau was sentenced to 5 days of arrest by the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk. Activists Alyaksandr Stsepanenka and Anton Pieu have been sentenced to 5 days of arrest. Vitaly Tsikhanovich and Yauhen Tarasevich to 3 days.

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Participants of yesterday’s event have grossly violated the decision of Minsk authorities on the place of the action and are to answer for that”, told the head of Minsk police Anatol Kulyashou.

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On March 25 after a march on Independence Avenue and a meeting near the Academy of Science a column of young people headed to the National library where the authorities organised a concert “For independent Belarus!” Policemen tried not to allow young people with national flags and flags of the European Union to the official celebrations. The authorities stopped the concert when they learnt that a column of young people was moving towards the library. “We went to the concert because we are for a free Belarus! But the authorities were afraid of us and finished the concert. Riot policemen tried not to let our column pass. They told that that event was not for us. We hadn’t been allowed to meet young people like us and celebrate Freedom Day together. They try to divide us and split, but all of us no matter what political convictions we have, what is our social status, we are one generation. We are a generation of free people! Jeans Generation!” told a young leader Mikita Sasim to the Charter’97 press-center, commenting on the results of Freedom Day celebration in Minsk.

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Russian version of a pan-European television news channel EuroNews in its coverage of celebration of Freedom day in Minsk reported that only several hundreds of people had taken part in the action, while world news agencies said about 10,000 Belarusians who took to the streets on March 25. They gathered in the center of Minsk with national flags and flags of the European Union.

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On March 25, on the anniversary of proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic, more than 40 activists were detained in Belarus. According to human rights activists, detentions have taken place in Minsk, Hrodna, Brest, Vitsebsk, Rahachou, Rechytsa. According to inofficial information, about 20 detainees were taken to the police department of Pershamajski district, some of them were beaten up.

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On March 25 a picket in support of Belarusian opposition dedicated to Freedom Day was held near the Embassy of Belarus. The picket had been organised by movements “Smena” and “Oborona”. The picketers brought to the embassy a petition with a demand to release a young activist Krystsina Shatsikava detained on March 23 in Mahilyou.

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“We have celebrated March 25, Freedom Day, as the greatest holiday. On this day the Belarusian nation accepted a responsibility for their country, its independence. The world saw thousands of people supporting Belarusian Freedom yesterday. Despite of intimidation and arrests, countless people took to the streets. I feel that great changes in the country are coming. Belarus is sure to become a democratic country, as for today only democracy could be a guarantee of independence,” told the leader of the united democratic forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich to the Charter’97 press-center, summing up the results of the action on March 25 in Minsk.

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