Minsk: 7 April – More Detentions

10.04.2006.

According to RFE/RL

At 7 p.m. on 7 April in Kastrychnitskaia Square in Minsk members of the Conservative-Christian Party BPF and other organizations held an action of protest against the falsification of the presidential election and against the upcoming inauguration of Aliaksandr Lukashenka. They unrolled the transparency ‘NO to Fascism!’ and raised white-red-white flags.

In his speech to the present persons Iury Belenki emphasized that Lukashenka wasn’t elected president, that’s why it would be the inauguration of pseudo president. After his speech riot policemen in plain clothes started pushing people out of the square towards Ianka Kupala St. They tore out flags from the action participants and threw them into litter bins. As a result, several participants of the action were detained. Among them: Iury Belenki, Uladzimir Bohach, Eduard Boki, Uladzimir Mikalaieu and Illia Shymanski. They were driven to Minsk Tsentralny Borough Board of Internal Affairs. Later Mr Shymanski was sentenced to 15 days of jail for ‘participation un unauthorized action’ (article 167.1 of the Code of Administrative Violations). We still have no information about the fate of other detainees.