Democrats under surveillance in Vitsebsk

Democratic activist Filip Shaurou was detained by riot militia on Monday.

At about 12:25 noon, militiamen came up to activist Filip Shaurou at a central bus station and said he answered the description of a person committed a crime and asked to follow them. The detained was guarded to the Chyhunachny district militia department of Vitsebsk.

“The situation in Vitsebsk is very tense. The number of riot militiamen patrolling the streets and watching people wearing badges, ribbons and other emblems. For instance, I wore a white-red-white scarf. They are probably afraid of a big action in support of Syarhei Kavalenka,” Filip Shaurou comments on his detention.

On January 7, a national white-red-white flag was hung out at the top of the 35-meter New Year’s Tree at Victory square in Vitsebsk. Syarhei Kavalenka, 34, was detained near the tree. On January 10, he was thrown into a temporary detention facility for two months on a decision of the prosecutor of Vitsebsk. A case under article 339, part 2 of the Criminal Code (repeated hooliganism, or committed by a group of persons, or connected with committing less serious bodily harm) was instigated against him. He faces up to 6 years of imprisonment under this article.