Police Search Apartment of head of Baranavichy Belarusian Language Society

18.12.2006.

Viktar Syrytsa, head of Baranavichy branch of the Belarusian Language Society, managed to inform the Human Rights Center Viasna that police came to his apartment with a search warrant. In the afternoon he called for an ambulance for his mother-in-law who felt bad. The police entered the apartment together with the doctors and began to carry out a search. They allegedly found live ammunition in his closet. Syrytsa has no idea where the ammunition comes from. He thinks the police has planted the ammunition on him.

The search continued till 5 p.m. Baranavichy human rights activist Siarhei Housha reports, the search was sanctioned by Baranavichy deputy prosecutor Besan. The ground was a report about a stolen purse. The search was carried out by 3 police officers and 3 people in plain clothes headed by major Sudnik. No one could explain why they were looking for a stolen purse in the apartment of the pro-democratic activist.

As a result of the total search the police found a box with 20 live cartridges. Besides that, the police seized the computers (an old and a new ones), and other information carriers: disks and diskettes. Viktar Syrytsa was taken to a police station for interrogation.

As the election gets closer, the authorities increase pressure on the pro-democratic activists of the opposition. Most probably, another representative of the opposition will face criminal charges.

One year ago Viktar Syrytsa dismissed from position of a teacher of Baranavichy Economics and Law College. The reason for dismissal was the fact that he organized a meeting of college students with the single candidate of Democratic Forces Alexander Milinkevich.