Even Rock Bands Are Persecuted in Belarus

10.08.2005.

According to RFE/RL

The concert of the folk-band Palats was to have taken place in Belaia Viezha club in Minsk on 18 August. However, the culture board of Minsk City Executive Committee didn’t permit the concert. The officials reject this information, and the musicians state that the former ones keep silent about their actions and secretly expand their black book. This concert was to have been the first one after the concert of 21 July 2004 at the oppositional meeting in Banhalor Square.

A similar incident happened to Krambambulia project in Reactor club in Minsk. Liavon Volski, one of the project founders, said:
-- We have received prohibitions before, but after the appearance of black books many groups don’t play anywhere. Most probably, it is a part of the general policy. Now it is very difficult to hold a concert, because the bureaucratic command system functions quite well.

Alieh Khamienka, the leader of Palats band, was also the author and the host of the Nastaunitskaia (Teachers’) program at the Lad channel of Belarusian TV. However, after the concert in Banhalor Square the program was prohibited and the band was fired from Belconcert. Aliaksandr Pamidorau, another participant of that concert, was fired from STV channel where he hosted Technology program. This year the concerts of N.R.M. and Neuro Dubel bands at Reactor club have been prohibited as well. The musicians addressed the authorities with an open letter, asking to explain the reasons for persecution, but got no answer.