Police was beating up oppositionists protesting against ban for leaving Belarus (Photo)

Leaders and activists of the Belarusian opposition who tried to bring address to the authorities of Belarus to the Internal Affairs Ministry and the General Prosecutor’s Office with a request to authorize their travelling outside Belarus were beaten up by policemen in mufti.

In the address oppositionists called upon the authorities to pay attention to the problem of persons in Belarus who restricted to travel abroad. According to democrats, the authorities are responsible for that. The address includes a call to the leadership of the Interior Affairs Ministry and the General Prosecutor’s Office to hold a meeting with oppositionists to discuss this problem and explain why the institution of persons restricted to travel abroad on political grounds exist in Belarus still, as at the border guards do not say the reasons for not allowing to leave the country for democrats.

In the beginning of the protest oppositionists including the leader of the “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich, an activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Paval Kuryanovich, the leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, an activist of the “Right Alliance” Yury Karetinkau tried to enter the building of the Internal Affairs Ministry. However, policemen in mufti who were accompanying the people forced them away from the building of the ministry.

Oppositionists were allowed to enter the building of the General Prosecutor’s office. The address was carried by the leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich and the chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka.

The address has also been brought to the Embassy of France, because of the country’s chairmanship in the European Union now.

Then oppositionists returned to the building of the Internal Affairs Ministry in order to try to give the address again. Yury Karetnikau was allowed to enter the ministry; however policemen applied force against other participants of the protest. The leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich was beaten up.

“I tried to defend the girls, who were brutally pushed by policemen in mufti, trying to push them away from the building of the Interior Affairs Ministry. 5 policemen immediately attacked me, thrown me on the ground and started to shove me, drag through the dirt, tore off buttons. Among the people who attacked me was the deputy chairman of the Tsentral police department of Minsk Hryshchcnka. They behaved like mad. Nobody presented himself, said nothing,” Zmitser Dashkevich said to the Charter’97 press-centre.

As said by Zmitser Dashkevich, oppositionists are not allowed to go abroad on ridiculous reasons. “Nobody explains me why I cannot travel abroad. I cannot finish my studies in Vilnius teachers’ training university because of this ban. And the officials of the EU should think why they lift visa sanctions form Lukashenka while opposition is restricted to travel abroad,” Zmitser Dashkevich said to the Charter’97 press-centre.

“I cannot finish university because on this ban. In spring I was evicted from Minsk state radio-technical college for my political activism. I entered the European Humanities University in Vilnius, tried to go for exams in September, but wasn’t allowed to go,” an activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Paval Kuryanovich said to the Charter’97 press-centre.

Photo by "Radio Svaboda"