TWO ZUBR ACTIVISTS DETAINED FOR NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTION

ZUBR press-service reports, Luba M. And Siarhei K. Handed out issues of The Supratsiu (Resistance) newspaper on the town market of Zaslauye, Minsk region. When they ran out of the newspaper copies, they headed to the railway station. On their way to the station they were approached by several people in civil clothes. Without introducing themselves the strangers forced the ZUBR activists to get into their car. The detention took place at 10.20 a.m. in Savetskaya Street. The ZUBR activists were taken to Zaslauye city police board and interrogated by police officers V. A. Klimushkin, D. N. Alesiuk, and A. A. Shytsikau.
The police were interested, who gave newspaper issues and leaflets to the detained, and how the ZUBR activities were financed. Shytsikau threatened he would bring the local KGB department to the case investigation. He warned the activists, it would be dangerous for ZUBR members to appear in town from that moment on. The detained were charged under Art 172-1 of the Code of Administrative Offences (producing and spreading unregistered printed material). When they had their fingerprints taken, at 2 p.m., the Zubr activists were released. However, as they walked out of the building, the policemen with submachine guns ran up to them and said the head of the police board wanted to talk to them. The activists were detained again.
Siarhei Vasilevich Dzikevich, head of Zaslauye police board, informed the detained they might be charged with insult of the President. He said he had information that while distributing The Supratsiu Luba and Siarhei talked to the people on the market and criticized Lukashenka’s policies. At about 3 p.m. the young opposition activists could leave. Soon they will be tried by Minsk district court.
Besides Zaslauye, The Supratsiu newspaper was distributed on Sunday in Dziarzhynsk and Stoubtsy. The distributors had no problems with the local authorities. They also distributed leaflets with ZUBR contact phone numbers.