Andrei Bastunets: Detention for a photo session is an absurdity

The lawyer believes that the police already have understood what a folly it was to arrest two journalists.

Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) Andrei Bastunets commented to charter97.org on detention of journalist of "Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus" Irina Kozlik and photojournalist Yulia Darashkevich.

"I can not call it otherwise, as an absurdity. Equating a photo session to an illegal picketing is wrongfully, these actions pursue absolutely different goals", - said Andrei Bastunets.

"The trial of the journalist and the photographer is going right now, the entrance to the courthouse is blocked. Colleagues of detainees are waiting behind the closed doors. No one knows how it will end, but, in my opinion, the police already understand that they have done a stupid thing", - said the Deputy Head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Recall, Irina Kozlik and Yulia Darashkevich were arrested on Wednesday night in the city center near the Palace of Arts during a photo session with teddy bears in support of arrested journalist Anton Suryapin.

In regard to journalists has been filed a report on administrative offence. Journalists accused of illegal picketing under the Article 23.24 of the Administrative Code (violation of the order of organization or holding mass events and picketing). A penalty of up to 30 basic rates (up to 3 million BYR) or administrative arrest is is provided by this article.

As the website charter97.org reported, on July 4 the Swedish aircraft flew through the Belarusian-Lithuanian border unnoticed by the Air Defense system. Over the Ivyanets city and outskirts of Minsk the crew dropped teddy bears with flyers in support of freedom of speech in Belarus. The Belarusian authorities did not recognize the fact of flight until July 26, stating that "the check is going on." In the meantime, Anton Suryapin, who posted pictures of the teddy bears found near Ivyanets on the internet, and Sergei Basharimau, the realtor, who rented an apartment to Swedes in Minsk, had been detained. On July 7 the KGB officially announced that they are officially charged with aiding and abetting the illegal border crossing.