Attacks on pickets of the opposition contenders in Belarus

On Sunday members of the nomination groups for signature collecting in support of Andrei Sannikov, Uladzmir Nyaklyaeu, Yaraslau Ramanchuk and Mikalai Statkevich were attacked by an unknown.

The incident took place near “Homel” department store where signature collecting was carried out.

“Three drunken men approached us, started insulting us, swearing, — a member of Sannikov nomination group Lilia Uvarava informed BelaPAN — We said that we would call the police and they left. But one of them came back, initiated a fight, pushed me, turned the table upside down, started snatching passports out of people’s hands who were signing, hit my legs. He burnt up matches and threw them at us”.

Then the hooligan turned the tables where signatures for Nyaklyaeu and Ramanchuk were collected upside down. Signature collectors managed to seize the hooligan, called the police which took the assailant away.

On October, 10 the members of the nomination group of Nyaklyaeu were attacked by an unknown young man, the incident also took place near “Homel” department store. The hooligan’s claim towards signature collectors were the same: “abnormal” language and red-white-red flag. The police, who arrived, according to the words of the members of the nomination group, in an hour and a half after the call, took the explanations of the volunteers.