Ten day arrest for a flash mob

On 7 February an Alternativa actitist Dzmitry Silchanka was sentenced to ten days in prison according to the article 23.34 of the Administrative Code – violation of the rules of organizing or carrying out mass events.

The decision was taken by the court of Minsk’s Soviet district, the human rights center Viasna reports.

The leader of Alternativa Aleh Korban reported that the activists of the organization were today called to a police station for a preventive talk. Only Dzmitry Silchanka showed up, the others refused to go without lawyers.

“Dzmitry was called today to the Soviet district’s police department for a preventive talk. After that the connection with him disappeared. Just now a policeman on duty at the Soviet police station answered on the phone that he was taken to a court and sentenced to ten days in prison. In the night they will send him to the prison where he will serve the time”, - Korban notes.

On 29 January the activists of alternative held a flash mob on the topic of official unemployment in Belarus. They fixed mannequins on a fence near Kamarouski marketplace that stood for the unemployed who held posters in their hands with writings “Like the other 1.5 million Belarusians I go to work in Miscow”, “Authorities do not notice me”, “I cannot buy anything at this market”.