Police demand "agitation permission"

On 26 February in Homel Oblast and in Homel the police continued to detain those distributing agitation materials in favor of the united democratic forces presidential candidate Aliaxandr Milinkievich.
In Rahachou the police detained Uladzimier Khadasievich and Uladzimier Tamkovich, who were handing out the Milinkievich booklets and the newspaper Narodnaia volia that contained the candidate’s manifesto. The deputy chair of the district executive committee, the chair of the district election committee Ryma Iastremskaia, a legal advisor Ludmila Barbaliuk, and the ideology department chief Aliaxandr Kliatsunou arrived at the police station. Mr. Khadasievich and Mr. Tamkovich were accused of violating the election law – organizing a meeting with electors and handing out, allegedly, “agitation information” in an unspecified place – at the Maskouski market.
Ludmila Barbaliuk, the legal advisor of the district executive committee, drew up a report registering the violation of the district executive committee decision No.143 of 13 February 2006 and article 167 part 3 of the Administrative Code.
In Homel the police detained Piotr Kuzniatsou and Zmitsier Zalatarou for distributing booklets at the Prudkouski market.
Police Major Sukharukau and Senior Lieutenant Dziatlou detained Iuras Zakharanka, Katsiaryna Haurylienka and Leanid Tuzhyk at the bus stop outside the measurement instrumentation factory. They kept them in the police station for 2 hours.
Because the distributors had a fold-down table, a small chair and a pad with portraits of Milinkievich, they were accused of conducting an unauthorized picket. A corresponding report was drawn up. The table, chair, pad and 62 Milinkievich booklets were confiscated.
Tsentralny Borough Police Department officers detained Andrei Tolchyn, confiscated a table and an agitation billboard, and drew up a report registering an administrative offence.
The Tsentralny Borough Police Department officers attempted members of the Aliaxandr Milinkievich initiative group in Tsentralny Park, where there were "Farewell Winter" festivities taking place, for distributing newspapers and booklets.
In Navabielitsy District the police detained the sisters Aliena and Halina Pratsko. They were distributing the newspaper Narodnaia volia.
In Kalinkovichy outside the market the police detained the distributors of the Milinkievich agitation products Aliaxei Manievich and Dzianis Rabianok. The police confiscated 107 booklets of the democratic forces candidate at the police station. Before the detention, unknowns in plain clothes had photographed the agitators. One of the provokers urged the people around: “Bash them"!
In Svietlahorsk Police Captain Shcherbin and his partner prevented Viktar Ramanishka and Sviatlana Mikhalchanka from distributing the Milinkievich booklets outside the city market.