Andrei Klimau will stay behind the bars

Radio Liberty
On 25 April it became known that Andrei Klimau will remain behind the bars for another 10 days. This decision was taken by Minsk Procurator's Office.
Andrei Klimau is accused of organizing a street demonstration on 25 March, which was under the demands of Aliaxandr Lukashenka's resignation. Perhamaiski Court has yet another criminal case against Andrei Klimau for defaming Aliaxandr Lukashenka. The hearing in court started on 6 April. Today the hearings were to have been continued, but because Klimau had not come, the new date of the sitting was defined – 19 May.
Relations and associates of Andrei Klimau came to Pershamaiski Court of Minsk. At 10 a.m. yet another sitting was to have been held. The criminal case was initiated because of the books and the news bulletin by Andrei Klimau, which were distributed on the territory of Belarus. Only one court hearing was held – 6 April, on the following day the procurator asked for a break until 25 April to collect additional information. Meanwhile, on 22 April Andrei Klimau was detained in Platonava Street and taken to the investigation committee for interrogation. The investigator Ihar Prakharenkau read him a statement, in accordance with which Andrei was detained for 72 hours as a suspect in the organization of a street action.
Andrei's wife Tatsiana Klimava hoped that her husband would be taken to Pershamaiski Court by guards, and she would hand food and warm clothing to him.
(Klimau: ) "I do not feel any pessimism but anger, though I feel ashamed of admitting to it. There was one criminal case for defaming the president. But they thought they did not do enough – so they detained my husband as a criminal in the street by broad daylight in the center of the city. The authorities are acting in a very irrational way. They believe they have explored all options of influencing the active part of the community. They cannot scare people by "one-day" arrests any longer. They will start criminal cases to put people behind the bars. But no one is afraid of that. They won't stop a popular revolution".
The investigator Ihar Prakharenkau informed that Andrei would not be taken to court because the procurator's office waited for his arrival so that they could define custody type. All understood that they talked of the arrest. Eventually outside the procurator's office they waited until the police car arrived, which had taken Andrei. He had enough time to say several words to the Radio Liberty while he was being taken to the procurator's room.
(Klimau: ) "Now kept in the temporary detention cell. Now going to the procurator. Everything is ok. So what? The revolution continues. If required, we'll go to prison".
The City Deputy Procurator arrested Andrei Klimau to 10 days without pressing any charges. On 5 May the issue will be decided – whether Andrei will stay in custody or released. In the event of charges, Klimau may have to sign a written undertaking not to leave the city.
Andrei Klimau's case is the third one for organizing a street action. Soon Paval Sieviaryniets and Mikola Statkievich will be tried for actions of protest against the falsification of the election and referendum results on 18 and 19 October.
The court hearing of Aliaxandr Lukashenka's defamation is to be heard in Pershamaiski Court on 19 May.