13 persons in jail: groundless arrests of opposition activists continue

11.07.2008. Tags: political persecution, youth leaders, provocation.

After the blast of a home-made bomb at the concert on 4 July Illia Bohdan, Siarhei Chyslau, Anton Koipish, Ihar Korsak, Pavel Kuryianovich Miraslau Lazouski, Viktar Liashchynski, Mikhail Pashkevich, Kiryl Paulouski, Tatsiana Pikun, Alexander Siarheyenka, Vital Stazharau and Siarhei Vysotski have been detained.

Today the established by the law 72-hour detention term of Siarhei Chyslau, Ihar Korsak and Viktar Liashchynski finishes.

However, the investigators have decided to prolong the term of Miraslau Lazouski’s detention to 10 days. The detainees’ relatives do not rule out that Ihar, Viktar and Siarhei won’t be released earlier as well. Ihar Korsak has stated that he would announce a hunger strike of protest against illegal detention in case he was not released today.

The young activists Illia Bohdan, Anton Koipish, Pavel Kuryianovich and Alexander Siarheyenka have been also interrogated in the criminal case opened on charges relating ‘malicious hooliganism’ after a blast of home-made bomb at the concert on 4 July. They have also been placed to a remand prison for 72 hours.

Illia Bohdan has been interrogated about the activities of human rights organizations related to election monitoring. At present he is kept at Maskouski district police department of Minsk.

A leader of the Young Democrats (youth branch of the United Civil Party) Mikhail Pashkevich has been detained near Niamiha Street. The activists of the organization Vital Stazharau and Kiryl Paulouski were detained together with him.

On 11 July Pavel Kuryianovich, Alexander Siarheyenka and Siarzhuk Vysotski have been transferred to the KGB isolator. The reasons for the transfer remain unknown.