Leanid Kulakou: Authorities Keep Back Urbanovich and Nikalaichyk’s Whereabouts

Activists are staying on duty in the courts of Minsk to prevent provocations.

Yesterday, after the event in memory of Mikhail Zhyzneuski near the Ukrainian embassy in Minsk on January 22, the chairman of the Young Front, Dzianis Urbanovich, and public activist and director Volha Nikalaichyk were detained. The detention occurred after laying flowers at the monument to Taras Shevchenko.

European Belarus civil campaign activist Leanid Kulakou has commented on the situation to the Charter97.org website:

– Last night we called the Tsentralny District Department of Internal Affairs. But they said that the detained activists were not there.

Later, we contacted Volha Nikalaichyk. She said that she and Dzianis Urbanovich were being taken to the detention center in Akrestsin Street.

The trial is to be held today. But no one knows where and when. Belarusian courts and the police are unpredictable. The activists can be taken to the court according to the place of detention, this means to the Tsentralny district court, and according to the place of residence.

None of the instances has given us an answer where Nikalaichyk and Urbanovich are kept at the moment. It turns out that the authorities are hiding their whereabouts. Tsentralny district court judge Viktoryja Shabunia told us that she did not know anything about the fate of the detainees, and if she would judge them, it would be after lunch.

As a result, we separated: some activists are on duty in the Tsentralny district court, the other part – in the Pershamaiski district court.

I wish the Ukrainian authorities would pay attention to this outrage. How is that: the activists lay flowers at the monument to a great son of Ukraine on the day when a man, who has officially received the title Hero of Ukraine from President Petro Poroshenko, died – and they are arrested for this and their whereabouts are kept back. I believe that the Ukrainian side should respond to this outrage.

Leanid Kulakou’s words have been confirmed by European Belarus civil campaign coordinator Maksim Viniarski:

– The detention center in Akrestsin Street refuses to give information on Urbanovich and Nikalaichyk’s whereabouts. Now we are keeping the watch, waiting for them in the district courts.