Aliaksandr Yarashevich: I was put on blacklist long ago

Journalist Aliaksandr Yarashevich was released after 12 days in custody.

About 20 people – friends, journalists and human rights activists – were waiting for him outside the detention centre.

Aliaksandr Yarashevich told charter97.org about possible reasons for his arrest.

“The activists, who had been detained during the Chernobyl Way rally, were released from custody on May 6. Ihar Trukhanovich was the first to be freed. European Belarus campaign activists Aliaksandr Tarnahurski and Dzmitry Charniak were released later. Zmitser Halko and I left the site separately from others. I think they arrested us, because it was easier. Riot policemen later said in the Maskouski district police department they had an order to detain the people who came to greet the activists. The understood that we were innocent and they gave false evidence. They cast their eyes down and said they just had to fulfil the order,” the journalist said.

Aliaksandr Yarashevich says his arrest might be no coincidence.

“I was put on the blacklist long ago. My home was searched during the investigation of the 'anarchists case'. My colleagues supposed it probably was revenge for my help in publication of Ihar Alinevich's book. It's difficult to look for logic where it cannot be logic,” he said.

The journalist said he took shower only once during 12 days after hot water was cut off in the detention centre.

It should be reminded that Yarashevich and Halko were detained on May 6 near a metro station, when they were returning from the detention center after we had met released participants of the Chernobyl Way rally. The journalists were detained on no grounds and taken to the Maskouski district police department. Police reports over article 23.4 of the Code of Administrative Offences were made against them. They spent the night in the police department. The Maskouski district court sentenced the men to 10 and 12 days in custody.