Vinyarski: Opposition activists forced to change residence to escape arbitrary detentions

Opposition activists are forced to live at an address different to the one where they are registered in order to escape arbitrary detentions.

Maksim Vinyarski, a coordinator of an opposition group called European Belarus, told reporters in Minsk on October 15.

"For instance, I almost never stay at the address where I'm registered as the place is almost always visited by police ahead of a street protest or some top foreign guest's visit," he said.

Mr. Vinyarski has been repeatedly arrested by police and jailed ahead of opposition demonstrations. "If two officers come to arrest you, they may even try to persuade you [to follow them] for five minutes. If there are three or four officers, they simply drag you into an automobile and take you to a police station," he said.

Activists no longer have any rights after they are arrested by police for "preventive detention," according to Mr. Vinyarski. "I'm not even offered to sign anything, they may change the charge on which I have been arrested," he said, adding that there was no access to legal counsel in such cases, while witnesses for the defense were not heard in court.

Mr. Vinyarski noted that "police see no restrictions for themselves." "If they are allowed to lie in a civil offense trial that ends in a person being sentenced to 25 days in jail, why not lie that the person insulted or pushed someone, why not say that there was resistance. Does it really matter that the innocent may be charged with a criminal offense as a result?" he said.