Atroshchankau: “Think if you should fulfill criminal orders”

Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, a coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign, called to support human rights activist Valer Shchukin, who was detained in the court building yesterday.

“A decision to hold a press conference was not an easy one. Valer Shchukin, who was arrested for expressing support to us, is being tried today in Orsha. Our first thought was to go to Orsha, but we decided a press conference could attract more public attention to Shchukin. It's due to the fuss in media that we are here today, not in a detention facility. In any case, we cannot enter the court building without passports. That's why I am calling on journalists to support Valer Shchukin,” Atroshchankau said,

“The incident was not a surprise to us,” Alyaksandr said. “We understood the risk. I think the effect of our detention is equal to ten visits to Brussels. Our absence says more than our possible presence. They authorities lost the information war and complicated their life in Europe.”

Atroshchankau recalled another case when he, Zmitser Bandarenka, Uladz Kobets and Zmitser Barodka had been taken off the train in 2004.

“It was a similar incident. We were taken off the train at Repki station in Ukraine. The stories are much the same, but police were looking for 'explosives' instead of drugs. It was very brutal. They broke Zmitser Bandarenka's arm and beat Zmitser Barodka. The dirty work was performed by ordinary policemen. The situation changed several months later and a criminal case was opened. We came for a line-up and saw majors and lieutenant-colonels crying like children and begging us not to ruin their lives. They said they had been fulfilling the order. I call on all Belarusians who support the regime. As Iryna Khalip once said a sycophant is a hard, but voluntary work. Everyone, from riot police to kindergarten teachers who tried to take little Danila Sannikov from his parents, will bear responsibility. Think if those giving orders are worth your ruined lives,” Atroshchankau said.

Anatol Lyabedzka said the detention was a special operation organized by Lukashenka himself.

“This is a provocation orchestrated by Lukashenka himself. The special operation has not ended. We have not received our passports back,” Lyabedzka said.

According to Kalyakin, they were taken off the train illegally. Each of the politicians suffered losses of 7mn Belarusian rubles, Radio Svaboda reports.

“Our passports were stolen. They were stolen at police,” Kalyakin said.

The politicians say they will appeal against the absurd court decision, demand a compensation for tickets to Brussels and try to receive their passports back.

The opposition leaders applied to the Department of Internal Affairs on Transport of Orsha for opening a criminal case in connection with the theft of their documents.

We remind European Belarus coordinator Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, United Civil Party leader Anatol Lyabedzka and head of Fair World Party Kalaykin were taken off Minsk-Moscow train in Orsha in early hours of March 28. The planned to fly to Brussels from the Russian capital. Customs officers said in the beginning the opposition activists were suspected of carrying illegal drugs, but later they were accused of disorderly conduct. They were expected to stand trial in Orsha on March 28, but the trial was delayed until March 29 for unknown reasons. Lyabedzka Kalyakin and Atroshchankau were left in a detention facility in Orsha until trial.

The politicians were tried over “disorderly conduct” on March 29. Each of them was fined 350,000 Belarusian rubles (10 basic units). Their passports have not been returned to them.