Journalists detained in Minsk for interviewing people

BelaPAN's journalists, who were detained at 3:00 p.m. near the National Academy of Science, have been set free.

Reporter Hanna Afonina and cameramen Syarhei Satsyuk and Vasily Syamashka were detained as they were interviewing people on the street. The asked people to answer the question “Who are you ready to back – the government or the opposition?”

Hanna Afonina says they were about to finish our work, when police officers came to them. They ordered to show IDs and asked about aims of the interview. A policeman then phoned talked to someone on the phone and the journalists were taken to Minsk's Pershamaiski district police department. Policemen there asked about the aims of the interview.

BelaPAN's journalists were released at about 4:15 p.m. They say the policemen were polite.