Mines of Orsha Battle Times Searched by Militia :: Charter'97 :: News

Around 100 opposition activists were detained 8 September, the Day of Belarusian Military Glory in Orsha and Mahyliou. Only in the Krapivenskaya field were the bards’ fest was to be held over 40 people were detained. The group of 20 public activists was detained in Mahyliou. In Orsha the people were taken off trains and busses and after several hours’ detainment forced to return to their places. But 9 September another 20 people were detained in the Krapivenskaya field. Among the detainees there were many well-known people: bard Andrei Melnikau, artist Ales Pushkin, youth leaders Zmitser Fedaruk, Andrey Sharenda, activists Ivan and Ilyia Shila.

As youth leader Pavel Sevyarinets reported to the Charter’97 press center, people detained 8 September were kept at the militia departments until morning. However the militiamen assured that none was officially detained as the reports had not been made. In the morning the detainees were released.

But the arrests continued until the following day. The activists detained 9 September were brought in patrol wagons to the Orsha district militia department and were kept in the assembly hall. When after documents check the militiamen started releasing the detainees “somebody threw the state flag out of the window into the street. After that the militiamen started detaining those who had been released but remained near the building. As it was informally reported they faced charges of disgracing treatment of the state symbols”. Those charges were brought against artist Ales Pushkin, youth activists Alyaksei Yanusheusky and Alena Makarevich.

It is also known that secretary of the organizing committee on establishment of the “Belarusian Christian Democracy” party Dzyanis Sadousky is being convicted of disobeying and resisting the demands of the militiamen. One of the militiamen insisted on Dzyanis having scraped his hand. Since 8 September the activist have been kept in the Orsha city militia department.

8 September militiamen and secrete service staff members were meeting the trains from Minsk, Mаhyliou, Homel carrying the people to the bards’ fest. The vehicles moving there were also detained.

The Krapivenskaya field itself was surrounded by militiamen. On the eve of the holiday, 7 September, militiamen declared that they had been phoned about the probable mining of the field.

It is to be mentioned that the same excuses were given after the militia had intruded the “Free Theatre” performance and arrested the actors.

Thus the Day of Belarusian Glory was marked at the Krapivenskaya field near Orsha in previous years: