Minsk: police burst into apartment to arrest ‘European Belarus’ activists

On 5 February the police burst into the apartment hired by the activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Pavel Yukhnevich, searched it and confiscated equipment and EU flags.

The policemen opened the door of the apartment in Kazlou Street in Minsk with the assistance of its owner. As Alexander Atroshchankau, spokesman of the European Belarus, told the Charter’97 press center, the apartment had been searched. Two laptops, a camcorder, a camera, EU flags, portraits of missing Belarusian opposition leaders and political prisoners, and stickers European Belarus were seized. At least 10 police officers conducted the search.

5 youth activists: Yauhen Afnahel, Uladz Ihnatovich, Marta Krylova, Alexander Lyndava and Pavel Yukhnevich were guarded to the Pershamaiski district police department.

As the youth leader Pavel Yukhnevich told the Charter’97 press center, the policemen said they were searching the apartment in connection with a criminal case instigated over a theft. However, the oppositionists weren’t questioned on this case at the police department.

‘They didn’t ask about the theft. They were interested what we were doing in the flat, where we had got the printed materials from. They said the seized portraits of missing opposition leaders and political prisoners, EU flags, stickers European Belarus were ‘anti-state’,’ Pavel Yukhnevich said.

Two hours later all detainees were released. All the things that had been confiscated from Pavel Yukhnevich’s apartment were left at the police department.