10 opposition activists remain in prison (updated)

According to the latest data of human rights activists, 10 opposition activists remain in custody over the case of bomb blast in Minsk on 4 July.

Among them are former members of closed down non-governments organisation Belarusian Association of Military Men Viktar Lyashchynski, Ihar Korsak, Miraslau Lazouski and Syarhei Chyslau, activists of the Belarusian Popular Front Illya Bohdan and Anton Koipish, and student Tatsyana Pikun.

Three more activists of the United Civil Party were arrested on 11 July allegedly for “using of obscene language”. Kiryl Paulouski got 10 days of arrest, Vital Stazharou and Mikhal Pashkevich were sentenced to 15 days of arrest. It is not excluded that the oppositionists are interrogated in the case of blasts in Minsk.

Alyaksandr Serhienka, activist of the Young Democrats, the youth organisation of the United Civil Party, Paval Kuryanovich, activist of the “European Belarus” civil campaign and Syarhei Vysotski, leader of the unregistered Belarusian Party of Freedom, were released from the KGB pretrial detention center on 12 July. They managed to prove they are not implicated in the bomb blast.

It should be reminded that in the connection with the mass detentions, the political council of the United Democratic Forces is considering a possible change of format of participating opposition figures in the “parliamentary election”. “Instead of looking for real criminals, the authorities have begun to use the blast in Minsk on 4 July to punish the political opposition. If the repressions continue, the UDF will consider a decision on changing the format of running in the electoral campaign,” the statement of the leaders of the political parties says.

The parties’ leaders also demand an urgent meeting with the Prosecutor General and declared their intention to gather on October square in Minsk at 6.00 pm on 14 July to express their solidarity with the detained.

The official bodies refuse to comment on the information about detention of opposition figures.