Detentions in Vaukavysk for rally of solidarity with political prisoners

Eight activists of the United Civil Party, taken to streets with portrait of Mikalai Autukhovich, were detained in Vaukavysk on May 16.

As chairman of the UCP Hrodna region organization Yury Istomin said, the oppositionists arrived in the district center to hold a rally of solidarity with entrepreneurs from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka who have been in the Minsk pre-trial detention center for more than three months. The picket was timed to May 16 – today a month has passed since Autukhovich went on hunger strike demanding to investigate the criminal case fairly.

The UCP activists were spreading leaflets about of Autukhovich, Lyavonau, and Asipenka in the district center, and formed a human chain near the town central market with portraits the detained, and were arrested by militiamen.

The detained were released some hours later, reports of administrative offence were drawn up against them.

Activists of the entrepreneurs’ movement from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained on February 8, 2009. On February 18, they were brought charges under article 218 of the Criminal Code (intentional destruction or damage to property of citizens). Human rights activists consider the detained to be political prisoners, they turn attention to the fact Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Lyavonau were convicted before and were recognized prisoners of conscience by the international community.