Russian Citizens Arrested Near Russian Embassy In Minsk

24.07.2006.

On Saturday, July 22, near the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Minsk two activists of Russian youth organization Oborona. Nikolay Zboroshenko and Ekaterina Vinokurova, who is the leader of the youth organization of the Republican party of Russia, took part in the rally with a demand to stop Russian support of Lukashenkas regime.

Picketers tried to unfurl streamers with the words: Russia without Putin, Belarus without Lukashenka. They also scanned slogans We need a new Russia, we need a new Belarus, No to support of the Belarusian dictator.

The Russians, and a Belarusian citizen Viktar Simanovich, who took part in the protest, were detained by Minsk policemen and taken to the police department of Tsentralny district of Minsk.

The detained Russian citizens were released until the court trial. Reports have been drawn up against them for administrative violation. They are charged with holding unsanctioned protest.

As we have informed, on July 16, on the Day of Solidarity with Belarus, 47 citiznes of Belarus were detained near the Russian embassy in Minsk. The protesters planned to demand bringing up the Belarusian issue at the G8 summit in St. Petersburg and urge Russia to stop the support of the Belarusian dictatorship. Participants of the rally held portraits of abducted Belarusian politicians and a journalist, candles of solidarity with political prisoners and repressed Belarusians. Riot policemen were brutally beating up people during detention.
Source: www.charter97.org