"Man's Man With Faces Of Alcoholics. That’s Our Police!"

The riot police has organized a manhunt on activists on the eve of Freedom Day.

While European Belarus coordinator Yauhen Afnahel was peacefully sleeping in his house, the Belarusian riot policemen were on service, patrolling the neighboring streets. And in the morning, law enforcers talked to the activist's wife, when she was walking the dogs.

"They said they would storm the house, that they would break doors, even the interior ones. Several times they asked if there were small children at home. They said they would beat the glasses," – Katsiaryna Ludwih, Yauhen’s wife, said in her interview to Belsat.

Policemen also came to another march supporter – Leanid Kulakou. Later, the Pershamaiski court of the capital sentenced the activist to 10 days' imprisonment for supporting Charter97.org blocked in Belarus. Activist Volha Nikalaichyk has found herself in the same trap, she has become a hostage in her own house. Getting ready for an administrative arrest, the film director is packing her things.

"The child was sitting with my niece in the kitchen, they wanted to get something to eat. And then she flew into my room and started to shout: "Volia, Volia! There have come some man’s men with the faces of alcoholics. And then a slam-bang clatter started – outside the windows, the door, in the hall, in the kitchen ... And I said to her: Masha, stay calm, that’s our police," – Volha recalls.

The previous day, BPF youth activist Artsiom Kasavarau, who distributed leaflets with invitations for the authorized rally on March 25, got into the center of isolation of offenders. The young man was detained after he decided to take a picture near the monument to the governor of a town.

Are the arrests a reaction to Lukashenka's speech?

Preventive detentions of activists and politicians – Uladzimir Niakliayeu, Viachaslau Siuchyk and Maksim Viniarski – started the day after Lukashenka's address to the youth, during which the dictator made it clear which format of the BPR’s one-hundredth anniversary celebration would be acceptable to the authorities.

"We do not need these demonstrations, street processions. But not because I'm afraid of them. Well, they will walk along the streets of Minsk, well, they'll foul it all up... We'll survive," – Lukashenka said.