Brest: Police Detain Car with Opposition’s Activists

At 20.30 on 12 December 2006 in Asipenka Street a police car blocked the car where the chair of Iury Hubarevich (chair of Brest regional organization of the BPF Party), Zmitser Shymanski (chair of Brest city BPF branch), Siarhei Iermakou (member of Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada), the youth activist Andrei Sharenda and Alena Dzemidovich were sitting. The policemen explained that somebody told them the activists were illegally trafficking cigarettes and they needed to examine the car and asked the activists to drive to Brest Leninski police department. The detainees demanded from them to examine the car without driving anywhere.

The car was examined by the senior police lieutenant Alena Dzenisenka. The police composed an examination report.

‘I think that these ‘investigative actions’ were of prophylactic-preventive nature and were aimed at prevention of the meeting of the detained opposition activists on the eve of the election,’ commented Uladzimir Vialichkin, human rights activist from Brest.