Six More Arrested in Hrodna

21.03.2006.

Six more people in Hrodna are sentenced to terms in jail, reports RFE/RL. Reporter Andrzej Pisalnik, activist of the Union of Poles, was sentenced to 12 days of arrest. Anisimovich and Zhaludok are sentenced to 10 days in jail. Klimchuk will spend 7 days in jail. They all were charged under Art 167 of the Code of Administrative Violations – participation in an unauthorized rally.
Alaksei Rads was sentenced to 10 days in jail on a charge of disorderly conduct.
Ihar Bantsar, activist of the Union of Poles, was detained later and sentenced to 10 days of arrest on a charge of using obscene language.
Leninski court of Hrodna heard practically identical cases: the people gathered yesterday for an unsanctioned rally. The police detained the most active protesters. The police also detained 2 16-year-old teenage girls, who were released later.
Andrzej Pisalnik was released yesterday after serving a previous term of 5 days in jail. He was detained again only after several hours. I was able to observe his trial. According to the police report, about 15 people with blue balloons and badges gathered in a park. According to the police witnesses the guilt of Andrzej Pisalnik was talking with people in a park and refusing to leave it. Andrzej said in court that the police report is false and he considers such actions of the police as persecution for convictions.
Ihar Bantsar was detained later. During the trial he explained that he ran on captain Lents on a street and just asked why the police detained Pisalnik again. At that moment two other policemen came from behind and detained him on charge of using obscene language.
Pisalnik, Rads, Klimchuk and Bantsar were tried by Judge Natalla Kozel, while Anisimovich and Zhaludok received their terms from Judge Dzmitry Matsiayuk.