Over 50 Activists, Members Of Nomination Groups Detained In Belarus This Weekend

This has been reported by human rights defenders.

Human rights activists of the Viasna HRC report dozens of detentions of activists throughout Belarus. They were detained primarily during pickets in support of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and the activists of Narodnaya Hramada, Radio Svaboda reports.

In total, at least 50 people were delivered to police stations over the weekend.

On May 31, three members of the Tsikhanouskaya initiative group were detained: Uladzimir Maroz from Kobryn, Valer Ramanovich from Pinsk, and Aliaksandr Milyuk from Masty. It is not reported in what case the members of the initiative group were taken to the police and the Investigatory Committee as witnesses. Perhaps this is due to the May 29 incident in Hrodna, when blogger Siarhei Tsikhanouski and several of his associates were arrested.

In Minsk, people in civilian clothes in a minibus blocked Maryna Adamovich’s car and detained politician Mikalai Statkevich. Activists of Narodnaya Hramada Valiantsin Trotski, Veranika Mishchanka, and several other people with picket equipment were also detained.

Valer Yepifanau was detained in Hrodna, and activist Tamara Patotskaya were detained at the exit from Baranavichy. Activist Aliaksei Syudak was taken to the Vileika District Department of Internal Affairs, and Ales Abramovich was detained in Maladechna.

In Vitsebsk, Aleh Barazna was detained, the location of activists Salamonenka and Ilyinets remainsunknown. In Homel, they detained blogger Ivan Ramiazouski, who runs the Youtube channel RealBelarus, and has recently served a 15-day administrative arrest for a rally of solidarity with Siarhei Tsikhanouski.

Leader of the Young Front Dzianis Urbanovich was detained in Minsk. The contact with activist Iryna Tsap is lost. Sviatlana Naryskina was detained in Homel. A few days earlier, she and her husband Leanid Kudzinau were summoned to the police to draw up a protocol, but they did not go.

Anatol Danilkevich was detained in Brest for a white-red-white flag. A protocol was drawn up against him under Part 1 of Article 23.34 Code of Administrative Offenses. In Minsk, Yauhen Hormash was detained over shouting “Shame!” to a traffic policeman who drew up a report against the driver.

Activist of the Young Front Vital Tryhubau managed to post on Facebook a video of his detention, as well as activists Andrei Voynich and Maksim Viniarski. The driver of the taxi, in which the activists went themselves and transported sound amplification equipment and posters, was also detained. The police also detained Ihar Krauchanka.

Minor Yahor Nikalayenka was detained in Homel and released only after 5 hours.

Maksim Kavalevich, a member of the initiative group of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, was detained in Biaroza.

The exact number of detainees over the weekend is still being clarified, but in total it is more than fifty people.