Mass arrests among moderators on social networking sites

The authorities are afraid of an “election” boycott.

Administrators of pro-opposition groups on social networking websites have been detained in Minsk. The KGB hacked one of the biggest pro-opposition communities on VKontakte social network – the group “We're fed up with Lukashenka” having over 37,000 members and the group “Only SHOS” with 15,000 members.

According to preliminary information, Pavel Eutyakheeu, Andrei Tkachou, Raman Pratesevich and other 2 or three persons were detained.

The website charter97.org talks to Pavel Eutyakheeu's mother.

“KGB officers came to my work. They didn't show their IDs, just said I had to go home with them and open the door. Two men were with me and a few men were in the yard to prevent my son from fleeing. When they wanted to take my son out of flat, I blocked the door and said I would remain there until they showed their identification documents. They threatened to arrest me for disobedience, but I remained firm. I wrote down information from an ID card of Alyaksandr Makarau, an officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They took my son and seized his computer. I heard them demanding him to say all passwords.

The were talking to one another. As I concluded from their conversations, they arrest people across Minsk. I heard they had arrested someone and would arrest someone in Uruchcha district,” Pavel Eutyakheeu's mother says.

According to one of the moderators Sergei Bespalov, his house is being searched. Activist is in anothert place now.

“Our group was an eyesore to the secret services. They wanted to neutralize the group “We're fed up with Lukashenka” with the start of silent protests. They failed to do it last year, but they gained revenge now. Perhaps, some experts from outside were involved. The worst thing is that they arrest the people who were administrates of the group ever. There are many people. Even me don't always know their real names and surnames. We joined the boycott campaign recently. Maybe it also was a reason. Secret services are likely to prepare a birthday gift for Lukashenka.

We informed the technical service of VKontakte social networking website an hour ago that the community had been hacked, but they haven't replied yet,” an unarrested administrator of the group told charter97.org.

The police said the parents of one of the detainees that they were taken to court of October district. But this information, according to friends of detainees who arrived at the court, was not confirmed.

Roman Protasiewicz was released through 4 hours after the arrest.