YOUNG FRONT MEMBERS JAILED FOR PARTICIPATION IN PROTEST ACTION

On 14 May 2003 eight activists of Young Front came to Kastrychnitskaya Square with whiteredwhite flags and posters. They demonstrated their disagreement with the referendum of 1995, which resulted in the changes of the state symbols and Russian language acquiring the official status. RFE/RL reports, Young Front members held whiteredwhite flags and posters: “No – to referendum, No – to occupation!” The police detained Zmitser Dashkevich and Ales Tarasevich. Natalla Vaitsekhovich, Judge of Minsk Centralny borough court, needed just 30 minutes to hear the cases. Zmitser Dashkevich was sentenced to 10 days of jail. Ales Tarasevich will have to spend 3 days under arrest.
The police did not let Young Front members Pavel Seviarynets and Ales Finkevich into the court building. They managed to get to the building only for a few minutes. Their colleagues asked them to bring books to the cell.
The police informed the arrested Young Front members that they would not be able to receive their whiteredwhite flags back. Most probably, they will have the same destiny as all other flags which have been confiscated since the referendum of 1995