Detentions and Trials in Niasvizh

In the night of 24-25 August in Niasvizh the police detained four youth activists: Nasta Azarka, A.Dubski, A.Zhukau and Nasta Palazhanka. They were charged with hooliganism for writing ‘Belarus is Sacred’ on a fence. The activists had to spend the rest of the night at Niasvizh district police department. The police ignored Palazhanka’s demand to call a defense lawyer. 

At about 2 p.m. on 25 August the under-aged Nasta Palazhanka was released. The administrative case against her was passed to an administrative commission on cases of under aged persons. 

On 27 August the court found the remaining activists not guilty of violating article 17.1 (petty hooliganism) and the case on this article was closed. According to Nasta Azarka’s information, the law machinery intends to bring an administrative case under article 10.9 (damage to buildings) instead.