Human rights watchdogs punished for “petty hooliganism”

A human rights activist Aleh Barshcheuski has been sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest, and his colleague Volha Karach fined 20 basic units (700,000 Br).

Such a ruling was passed by the court of Frunzenski district of Minsk on April 20, BelaPAN was informed by a human rights activist Valyantsin Stefanovich. As said by him, they were found guilty of committing petty hooliganism act.

At the moment trials over two more human rights activists detained the day before: Pavel Lyavinau and Pavel Staneuski.

As BelaPAN informed earlier, on April 19 in the morning the flat of a human rights activist Valery Shchukin was raided by police. Shchukin was celebrating his birthday with his friends and family then. When IDs of those present were checked, the police left, however they returned and said they would search the flat. As said by the policemen, the search was related to the investigation of the terrorist attack in Minsk metro on April 11, 2011. 18 persons were taken to the police department of Frunzenski district of Minsk. All of them were questioned, some fingerprinted, for instance, Larysa Shukajla from Mahilyou. “We were asked why we had arrived to Minsk, where we stayed for the night, what was the reason for our gathering. I think the arrest took place in view of the recent tragic events in the metro. The police demonstrate the work is in progress,” an activist of “Nash dom” campaign Anderi Aksyonau said.