Belarusian opposition leaders detained on the way to Moscow and Brussels

Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, Syarhei Kalyakin and Anatol Lyabedzka were taken off the train on their way to Russia. They are to be tried today.

Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, a coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign and former political prisoner, managed to phone charter97.org, but was unable to talk. During five minutes, we heard the attempts to get him, leader of Fair World Party Syarhei Kalyakin Lyabedzka, off the train.

Syarhei Kalyakin demanded that people, who entered their compartment to detain them, should introduce themselves. He was saying he did not want to follow unknown people and recalled cases of political kidnappings and killings in Belarus.

The politicians were detained and taken in an unknown direction. Police took away their cell phones. They are not available on the phone now.

It became known later that the opposition members were taken off Minsk-Moscow train in Orsha and guarded to the police department of Orsha.

Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, Syarhei Kalyakin and Anatol Lyabedzka were going to Moscow and then to Brussels to attend European Commission's meetings on March 29.

Alyaksandr Atroshchankau was also invited for an interview for Russian New Service in Moscow.

The coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign phoned charter97.org at 9 am and said he and the other politicians would stand trial this morning. They are charged with disorderly conduct, though it was policemen who burst into their compartment and took them off the train without giving any reasons.

According to the father of Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, the detainees were in a detention facility in Orsha at 2 pm. They are to stand trial at 4:00 pm. Opposition activists and human rights defenders are waiting for the trial near the court of Orsha.