The leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka was released in three hours after detention. The politician was taken to a police department of Leninski district of Minsk, though policemen told to journalists and family he was not there.
The whereabouts of the leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka are still unknown. He was detained at about 6 p.m. while approaching October Square, where the rally in memory of the disappeared general Yury Zakharanka was to take place. Protesters also wanted to demonstrate solidarity with political prisoners. The press service of the UCP addressed the police department of Tsentralny district of Minsk, where other detainees were taken. They were told that A. Lyabedzka was taken to the police department of Leninski district (Lenin Street, 13). An officer on duty in the police department told that Anatol Lyabedzka was not there. Representatives of the special detention center in Akrestsin Street also say that the UCP leader was not taken to them.
A youth activist Lubou Kuchynskaya, beaten up today by policemen of a special police squad (former SWAT policemen), is hospitalized to the emergency hospital. The girl told to the Charter’97 press center details of her detention and beating up:
60 activists of youth organizations, of the United Civil party, the Belarusian Popular Front Party, the Party of Communists of Belarus, common citizens gathered in October Square in Minsk with portraits of the disappeared general Yury Zakharanka and of political prisoners. The peaceful protest was disbanded by riot policemen.
Right before the protest rally in memory of the disappeared former Minister of Internal Affairs Yury Zakharanka, which was planned for 6 p.m. today on October Square in Minsk, riot policemen seized the leader of the United Civil party Anatol Lyabedzka. 10 more activists were seized near the square. One of them, Lubou Kuchynskaya, was brutally beaten up by riot policemen. The girl was taken to the emergency hospital; however she managed to tell human rights watchdogs that she was beaten up by several riot policemen. They were hitting her on the head, pushed her roughly. Her clothes and bag were torn. She was robbed: her mobile phone was seized.
The leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka was arrested near October Square in Minsk, were a rally in memory of disappeared former Minister of the Internal Affairs Yury Zakharanka was to start. The political was detained by six riot policemen. They applied force. According to preliminary information, Lyabedzka was taken to the police department of Tsentralny district of Minsk. 10 more participants were arrested during the rally.
Young activists Lubou Kuchynskaya and Hanna Harachka were detained in the subway crossing by the metro station Katrychnitskaya (October Square). Activists were detained by riot policemen. The reason of detention is unknown. At the moment a rally dedicated to the memory of the former Minister of the Interior Affairs Yury Zakharanka, who went missing in 1999, has started.
Investigation of the case of Yury Zakharanka’s abduction has been extended for two months. The last letter of investigators was received by Yury Zakharanka’s mother three years ago.
A white-red-white flag had been waving over a private house in the center of Klyotsk for more than three weeks. The house belongs to Syarhei Panamaryou. The national flag indicates democratic views of the house owner.
A dweller of Minsk Aksana Novikava has placed a poster “Freedom to political prisoners!” in her private house in the center of Minsk. A slogan in black and white has been placed at the level of the upper storey for more than a week, and it is visible to passers-by and clients of a shop in Minsk district of “Selhaspasyolak”.
In the cities of Belarus struggle for release of political prisoners continues. Streamers “Freedom to political prisoners!”, “Freedom to Kazulin!”, “Freedom to Dashkevich!”, “Freedom to Finkevich!” and leaflets with a demand to release prisoners of conscience were put up in the center of Salihorsk. The Young Front has become the organizers of the rally.
The youth leader Artur Finkevich has been sentenced to two years of restriction of freedom (so-called corrective works) by the court of Pershamajski district. Artur Finkevich was found guilty for violation of the Article 339 Part 2 of the Criminal Code (malicious hooliganism) for making graffiti “We want a new one!” “I do not agree with the verdict, but I do not find it necessary to challenge it, considering huge terms of imprisonment I had been facing. I think that the regime has confined itself to corrective works as they have fear. They understand that the situation in Belarus is changing irreversibly,” Artur Finkevich said to the Charter’97 press-center after the verdict was passed.
Rallies in support of the youth leader Mikita Sasim continue in Belarus. The trial over him starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the court of Baranavichy district and the town of Baranavichy. In Minsk thousands of leaflets with Sasim’s portrait are pasted. Recently streamers with a demand to release the political prisoner have been placed in the center of the city. Graffiti and leaflets are emerging in many cities of the country.
Activists of the committee “Belarus” have carried out a performance in front of the Belarusian Embassy in Paris. Portraits of Belarusian high-ranking officials and force ministries’ representatives suspected by the world community in assassinations and abductions of opposition leaders and a journalist, pictures of disbanding peaceful protests against rigged presidential election results, portraits of arrested opposition leaders were pasted in front of the diplomatic mission. Besides, announcements were handed out made that a Museum of Belarusian dictatorship is to open in Paris, and the address of the Belarusian Embassy was indicated there. Participants of the protest pretended to be executioners: they had black clothes and masks with black moustaches on.
Court trial in the case of youth leader Mikita Sasim is scheduled for May 11 at 10 a.m. in the court of Baranavichy district and of Baranavichy. Mikita Sasim is charged with draft evasion, though last autumn he had been granted a postponement from military service connected with brain injury received during protest rally on September 16, 2005. The youth leader stays in pre-trial detention facility in Baranavichy. He faces up to 3 years of imprisonment.
On May 9 at 9 p.m. 13 young people were detained by Belarusian State Circus. They intended to march along F. Skaryna (Independence) Avenue up to Victory Square and pay tribute to the memory of dead of the Great Patriotic War.
The prosecutor has demanded to sentence the youth leader Artur Finkevich to 2.5 years of restriction of liberty (so-called corrective works). Today charg against Finkevich for violation of the Article 218 Part 3 of the Criminal Code (intentional destruction or damage of property) was dropped, however, he is still charged with violation of the Article 339 Part 2 (malicious hooliganism).
DURING HIS first four years in office, President Bush made impressive strides toward achieving the improbable goal laid out in his second inaugural address — "ending tyranny in our world." American troops liberated 50 million people and midwived representative governments in Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States also provided important support to peaceful uprisings in Ukraine, Georgia, Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan.
Housing maintenance office of Pershamajski district of Minsk, that previously claimed that the damage from the inscription made by youth leader Artur Finkevich of “We want a new one [president]!” on a building wall totaled 35,196,970 rubels ($16,370), reduced the sum of damage to 460,000 BYR.
Most of journalists were not allowed to be present at the hearing of the case of youth activist Artur Finkevich that continued in the court of Pershamajski district of Minsk today at 10.30. The guards of the building referred to a personal order of judge Viktorya Zajtsava.
Social Democratic activists in Kyiv have agreed to work toward the release of Aleksandr Kozulin, a former presidential candidate and the de facto leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party “Hramada” (BSDP), joining the drive already supported by politicians in Chisinau, Vilnius and Moscow.
A few years before the abduction of Yury Zakharanka (Zakharenko) he was removed from the position of Interior Minister of Belarus. The firing of the officer respected by his colleagues was connected to his attitude towards president Lukashenka and his entourage. The most probable reason for Yury Zakharanka’s abduction was the work of the general aimed at creation of the Union of Officers, an organization not manageable by the authorities, which was to unite the higher officers of police and Armed Forces.
Dear Colleagues. Remember, please, you are expected to refer to the Charter`97 Press Center when using the site materials. News export , javascript-informer
, javascript-informer
