Moderators of social network communities sentenced to custody

Meantime, the deleted group “We're fed up with Lukashenka” was again created on VKontakte social networking website.

Pavel Eutikheey, a moderator of the group “We're fed up with Lukashenka” detained in Minks on August 30, was taken to the Kastrychnitski district court today, charged with disorderly conduct and sentenced to five days in custody.

Andrei Tkachou, an administrator of the group “Only SHOS” [which can be loosely translated as “let Lukashenka die”], was detained in his girlfriend's flat and taken to a detention facility. He was given 7 days in custody.

Aleh Shramuk, the founder of the group “We're fed up with Lukashenka”, was accused of illegal excavation, but released at night after an interrogation in the KGB.

Another moderator, of a community on a social network website, Syarhei Byaspaly, managed to escape arrest. He was warned by his friends and fled to Russia. He does not plan to return to Belarus so far.

We remind there were mass arrests among moderators of pro-opposition communities on VKontakte social networking website yesterday. The KGB also hacked the biggest pro-opposition communities on VKontakte, “We're fed up with Lukashenka”  with over 37,000 members and “Only SHOS” with more than 15,000 members.

Raman Pratasevich, the head of the initiative “Lyapis Trubetskoy – free concert in Minsk”, was questioned, beaten and threatened by police. He was later released as a minor.

The technical support of VKontakte social networking site has not replied to unarrested administrator of the group. A new group “We're fed up with Lukashenka” was created. More than 1,500 people have already joined it.

Administrators managed to save the group “Lyapis Trubetskoy – free concert in Minsk” with 45,000 members. It is now controlled by an unarrested administrator.