Minsk: Riot Police Disperse Action of Solidarity with Aliaksandr Kazulin
At about 2 p.m. on 10 December, the Universal Day of Human Rights, about 50 persons came to Kastrychnitskaia Square of Minsk with posters in their hands. They demanded from the authorities to release the political prisoner Aliaksandr Kazulin who is keeping a hunger-strike for more than 50 days already, and respect human rights.
The riot police violently dispersed the action. 24 persons were detained and taken to Minsk Tsentralny police department. Here’s the list:
- Raman Bahdanovich
- Ales Bialiatski
- Pavel Chaikouski
- Alesia Iasiuk
- Aliaksandr Iuleu
- Ales Kalita
- Mikalai Karshukou
- Lina Kasianik (born in 1931)
- Zmitser Khvedaruk
- Aleh Korban
- Zmitser Latushkin
- Aliaksandr Laurynovich
- Anatol Liabedzka
- Anton Lipen
- Aliaksandr Makaieu
- Aliaksei Melnik
- Siarhei Miklashevich
- Valiantsina Palevikova
- Iury Ryzhkou
- Aryna Serbantova
- Uladzimir Siarheieu
- Valiantsin Stefanovich
- Henadz Veratsinski
- Volha Zhurauliova (under age).
Policemen in mufti also preventively detained Aliaksei Karol, deputy chair of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) near the office of the Belarusian People’s Front. During the detention the policemen said that he was detained because he allegedly reminded of a man who stole a car.
At about 2 p.m. at the crossing of Nezalezhnastsi Avenue and Masherau Street, not far from the office of the Belarusian People’s Front the police detained three youth activists and took them to Minsk Savetski borough police department. The youngsters had copies of the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus Adrian Severin about the situation in the country. The policemen considered the report as ‘production, the content of which is harmful to the state order, the laws and the legal interests of citizens’. As a result the police composed reports under article 172.3 in which the detainees were charged with distribution of the reports. At about 5 p.m. the youngsters were released.
At 4.55 p.m. Volha Zhurauliova was released from the police department. Three of the detainees, Aleh Korban, Zmitser Khvedaruk and Uladzimir Siarheieu were separated from other ones and were told they would receive a ‘special treatment’.
At about 5 p.m. it became known that the police drew on Anatol Liabedzka, chair of the United Civil Party, a report for violation of article #156 of the Administrative Code (petty hooliganism). The police gave to him a summons to Minsk Tsentralny borough court for 12 a.m. on 12 December and let him go.
The youth activists Zmitser Khvedaruk, Aliaksandr Iuieu, Aleh Korban and Uladzimir Siarheieu weren’t released from the police department on 10 December. Instead, they were driven to the detention center in Akrestsin Street.
On 11 December they were tried. Minsk Tsentralny borough court sentenced Zmitser Fedaruk to 15 days of jail, Aliaksandr Iuieu – to 93 000 rubles fine (about $40) Aleh Korban -- to 15 days of jail and Uladzimir Siarheieu – to 3 days. All of them were charged with petty hooliganism. The trials were closed and were performed in a new building which prior to the court was owned by Belarusian Humanitarian Lyceum that was liquidated by the authorities.
At 3.15 p.m. on 10 December, the Universal Day of Human Rights, the police detained five youth activists who came to the UN Representation in Minsk with photos of Aliaksandr Kazulin, who continues hunger strike in the colony Vitsba-3 for the 53rd day, demanding to consider the situation with human rights in Belarus at the UN Security Council session. The policemen put down the detainees’ passport data and then released them. The independent journalists who witnessed the detention (including Henadz Barbarych, Aleh Dashchynski and Iury Dziadzinkin) also had to show their documents. Then a policeman erased all photos from the camera one of the journalists had.
