Purge on the eve of Freedom Day: Belarus regime keep arresting politicians, activists
The Belarusian authorities have apparently decided to neutralize Belarusian activists in the run-up of the Freedom Day march on March 25. Unfortunately, the list is being updated. According to human rights defenders, as of March 23, there are 270 victims of persecution for acts of civil and social protest.
In February-March, there has been an eruption of protesting the so-called ‘parasite’ law in Belarus. Hundreds of Belarusians have been detained, fined, jailed after recent non-parasite marches. Last week, trials of participants were held in Minsk, Hrodna and Mahiliou. Most of them were accused of violating the order of holding mass events and disobedience to police officers’ demands. It should be noted that plainclothes policemen who refuse to show their IDs a or introduce themselves often beat people and prevented journalists from performing their professional duties.
Moreover, brutal arrest of the people for unknown reasons began after Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s statement that gunmen with weapons who were preparing a provocation had been detained in Belarus.
March 23
Minsk:
Businessman Anatol Shumchanka and politician Ales Lahvinets were detained in Minsk.
Ales Lahvinets, one of the leaders of ‘For Freedom’ movement, was thrown into a minivan and severely beaten by two plainclothes men, his son Antos said. At first, they also handcuffed the son, but after searching his bag they released him. ‘We were ordered to arrest Ales Lahvinets alone,” the men said. Although Ales Lahvinets did not put up resistance, they were battering him and called ‘sell-out rat’. He also said that his father had a concussion, closed head injury, and a broken nose.
Mikalai Kazlou, Deputy Head of the United Civic Party, was arrested.
Mikalai Kazlou
Activist Pavel Yukhnevich was arrested when he was going home after work.
Vyachaslau Siuchyk, a leader of the movement ‘Together!’ was tried in absentia and sentenced to 15 days in prison. The police detained him when the politician was at the funeral of his uncle
Kurapaty defenders Uladz Yaromenak, Zmitser Kramyanetski and Raman Vasilyeu were arrested. The flat of the latter was searched. The young man was added to the list of the detainees over the case of ‘armed militants’.
Yauhen Mikhasyuk, an activist of the Center of Student Initiatives, will be tried on March 24.
At the moment, it is not known where Ivan Kavalchuk, a student of the National Technical University, is. He is out of reach, the police searched his hostel room.
In Chachersk, activist Artsyom Kavaliou was taken to a local police department, he is facing trial.
In Hrodna region, Vadzim Lyavon, a coordinator of the movement ‘For Freedom’, was detained. His parents’ place was searched; security forces seized documents.
In Hrodna, Eduard Dmukhouski was sentenced to 15 days in jail for participating in an authorized ‘non-parasite’ march.
In Maladzechna, Pavel Syarhei, an activist of the patriotic organization ‘Poshuh’, was arrested.
Homiel: Blogger Maksim Filipovich who went for hunger strike in jail was sentenced to another 5 days in arrest
March 22
20.39 Minsk: Civil activist and co-founder of the youth organization Zubr Yauhen Afnagel has been detained on Wednesday evening. His flat is being searched. UPD Yatuhen will spend 15 days in jail.
Homiel
The police attempted to break in Mikalai Peshkou’s flat; as of 21.30, the activist is at liberty;
A protocol was drawn upon Andrey Makarau; the activist is facing trial;
In addition to a fine and 10 days in jail, another protocol was drawn upon Uladzimir Nyapomnyashchykh;
Maxim Filipovich who has been hungerstriking for 9 days will be tried tomorrow;
Artsyom Shaporau was summoned;
Plainclothes policemen are constantly on the watch near the block of flats where activist Andrey Strizhak lives. He was tried in absentia and sentenced to 10 days in prison.
Belsat TV contributors Volha Davydava and Lyubou Luniova were detained in Minsk.The women were present at the meeting for journalists held by activist Nasta Dashkevich whose husband was arrested a few hours earlier. Then they went to Leninski district police department, where, according to preliminary information, arrestees Zmitser Dashkevich and Artsyom Leuvchanka might be kept. The journalists and Nasta Dashkevich were detained for ‘filming in a security facility’, their smartfones were siezed. At the same time, they did not film anything, the women state.
(UPD) After searching, the police released them.
On March 22, the Minsk police arrested former political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich and activist Artsyom Leuchanka who were assembling kitchen furniture in the flat of the famous Belarusian historian and writer Uladzimir Arlou.
(UPD) They are reportedly being kept in the KGB prison in Minsk.
“[Kurapaty defender] Syarhei Palcheuski took our car to carry necessary tools. They must have arrested him when he drove back. Perhaps, he decided not to get out of the car. Its side windows are broken, the car is opened, we don’t know where Syarhei is,” Zmitser Dashkevich’s wife Nasta says.
“I saw a crowd of unknown people; Zmitser Dashkevich and Artsym Leuchanka were facing the wall. When I asked what had happened, I was told that at my place bad workers had worked – they had knocked the kitchen door, so they [police] came to detain them. I said I had not called the police. And he stopped talking to me,” Arlou’s wife Valyantsina Aksak told Belsat.eu.
Pinsk-based activist Dzmitry Serhiyevich was sentenced to 5 days in jail for calling to participate in the ‘non-parasite’ rally on March, 11.
In Baranavichy, activists Ryhor Hryk and Mikalai Charnavus were tried for participating in protests.
In Hrodna, several civil activists were summoned to Leninski district court over their taking to the streets during the march of ‘non-parasites’ which was held in the city on March 15.
Pinsk-based freelance journalist and Belsat TV contributor Viktar Yarashuk was detained on the street at about 10:00: two plainclothes men ordered him to go to the police station.
After a while, the police drew up a protocol on the journalist for ‘illegal production and distribution of media products’ and took him to court where Yarashuk was BYN 920 fined (appr. €450).
Activist Ales Mekh, a resident of Kobryn, was detained, he said on Facebook. Now his telephone is out of reach.
Natallya Papkova, one of the organizers of ‘non-parasite’ marches in Brest, has been detained at the railway station. She was going to participate in the rally on March 25 in Minsk. Human rights activists consider it a preventive detention. At 14:00 the hearing of her case started in Leninski district court. But it is still unknown why she was detained.
In Dobrush, Belsat TV contributor Kastus Zhukouski was detained. He was taken to a local police station for investigation, but released without drawing up a report.
Meanwhile, Homiel-based freelance journalist Andrey Tolchyn was contacted by the local police and told he would be summoned. The man is facing trial now. “But I have no idea what they will accuse me of – I have not broken any laws,” he says.
