Youth activists detained after meeting minister Kulyashou by chance

Young Front deputy heads Nasta Palazhanka and Mikalai Dzyamidzenka were detained in Minsk on November 17.

As Young Front leader Zmitser Dashkevich told BelaPAN, the activists had been detained on a personal order of minister of internal affairs Anatoly Kulyashou.

“Palazhanka and Dzyamidznka were handing round information materials near the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The leaflets informed about a street action on October Square on November 24. They came across Kulyashou, who told them about responsibility for their actions. After that a police squad drove to Palazhanka and Dzyamidzenka and detained them. The policemen told the order to detain the activists had been given by the interior minister,” Dashkevich said.

An hour later, Nasta Palazhanka and Mikalai Dzemidzenka were released from the police department of the Tsentralny distirct of Minsk. No reports were drawn up.

According to Dashkevich, Dzyamidzenka and Palazhanka refuse to give any explanations to the police. “Policemen seized three copies of different stickers calling to take part in the meeting with candidates on October Square in Minsk on November 24. The police officers joked they were waiting for 50,000 copies of such stickers to be printed,” Dashkevich said.