Hrodna: 14 Activists Imprisoned So Far

On 17 March in Shchuchyn the activist of the BPF Party and of the electoral headquarters of Aliaksandr Milinkevich Vasil Biazmen was sentenced to 10 days of jail. After the search at the hospital where he worked, the police forcibly took Mr Biazmen to Shchuchyn District Board of Internal Affairs and then - to Shchuchyn District Court. The trial was lead by Tamara Bohdan, wife of Viktar Bohdan, chair of Shchuchyn Polish House. (Reference note: in 2005 Viktar Bohdan complained to procurator’s office against the activists of the Union of Poles in Belarus Veslau Keuliak, Andrei Pachobut and Andzhei Pisalnik intimidated him. On this complain the procurator’s office brought a criminal case, and the abovementioned activists were summonsed to numerous interrogations during the second half of 2005). The judge ‘believed’ to the testimonies of the police and one more man, who was taken to the court drunk. She ignored the testimonies that were given by Biazmen’s colleagues. The same day in Hrodna the police detained Valery Kisel, member of the Council of Hrodna city BPF branch and Hrodna city electoral headquarters of A.Milinkevich. He was sentenced to 3 days of jail. Now 14 public activists are behind bars in Hrodna. Andrei Pachobut is keeping a dry hunger-strike and the state of his health has considerably deteriorated. Viktar Sazonau has also declared a hunger-strike, but, unlike Pachobut, he drinks water.