Cyclist Dzmitry Palienka Charged With Resisting Police

Activists of the “Critical Mass” event faces up to 6 years in prison.

Activist Dzmitry Palienka, who was detained at the cyclists’ “Critical Mass” event in Minsk on April 29, was moved from the remand prison in Valadarski street to the Zhodzina detention center and charged with resisting the police.

The cyclist could face up to 6 years in prison. The father of the detainee Aliaksandr Palienka said that to Radio Svaboda.

“Yesterday he was moved to Zhodzina. As far as I know, he doesn’t plead guilty. On Monday I'll go to Zhodzina to take the necessary things to my son, so I might be able to find out more about him,” – the activist's father said.

Meanwhile, it became known that one of the participants of the “Critical Mass” event Maksimilian Boichanka filed an application for bringing the policemen to responsibility for their actions on April 29.

The “Critical Mass” event is cyclists’ travelling along the streets of the city, they try to draw attention of the city authorities to the fact that the streets do not have proper facilities for cycling.

On April 29, a few dozen cyclists took part in the event. They were stopped by traffic police at the stela in Victor's Avenue, a few cyclists were arrested, against two of them, Dzmitry Palienka and Stanislau Kanavalau, criminal cases were initiated. Stanislau Kanavalau was released under a recognizance not to leave on April 30, Dzmitry Palienka was placed in a detention center. According to activist’s parents, Dzmitry was not resisting the police, but was trying to stand up for one of the cyclists, who was being beaten by a police officer. The police officer said that his jacket had been torn.