Salihorsk: Trial of Pavel Batuieu, Detained at St. Valentine’s Day Action

According to saligorsk.org

On 14 February in Salihorsk the police detained a youth activist Pavel Batuieu 10 minutes before St. Valentine’s Day action, which was to have started with a procession along the central streets of the city. The police accused him in petty hooliganism.

On 15 February Mr. Batuieu was tried. The judge listened to the police witnesses as well as to witnesses from Batuieu’s side. The policemen gave addle testimony and the judge had nothing to do but release Pavel and return the case to the police for correction.

The activist can be summonsed to court for repeated consideration of the case till 14 April. So, Mr. Batuieu is the only activist who was tried after this year’s St. Valentine’s Day and spent the night at a police station. Salihorsk activists state that 8 detentions in their city on 14 February can hardly be considered as a manifestation of the regime’s improvement.