Activists of Russian “Oborona” movement deported from Belarus

One of the leaders of the Russian civic youth movement “Oborona” (“Defense”), Oleg Kozlovsky, and some activists of the movement, were detained on March 25 in Minsk.

As the Charter’97 press-centre was told by Andrei Kim, the leader of “Initiative”, a Belarusian youth organisation, the Russian citizens were detained at the railway station in Minsk in the morning, when they left the train. Five members of “Oborona” arrived to Minsk supposedly.

The Russian pro-democracy activists were detained by police. They were charged with “hooliganism”, kept for a few hours in a police department of Leninski district of Minsk, and then forced to leave back for Moscow in a train.

As said by Kim, Oleg Kozlovsky told him that on their way to Minsk in the train they had been already shadowed.

“Oborona” activists had been invited to Minsk for participation in the demonstration dedicated to proclaiming of the Belarusian People’s Republic, which is to take place today evening in Minsk.

Oborona (Cyrillic: Оборона) is a non-partisan civic youth movement