Riot militia against participants of solidarity rally in Minsk: new arrests of oppositionists

Activists of “Young Front” and “European Belarus” were detained for they went to October square with portraits of political prisoners on May 16.

20 youth activists gathered in Minsk center at 6.00 p.m. to hold a traditional rally of solidarity. The participants of the action were holding portraits of political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka and raised a national white-red-white flag.

Riot militiamen in uniform and in mufti stood on the square and hindered holding the rally for 15 minutes. When demonstrators went away in small groups, Pavel Kuryanovich, Yullia Mikhailava, Viktoria Ladis and Bahuslau Revyakou were detained in a pedestrian subway. The oppositionists were guarded to a militia station on “Kastrychnitskaya” metro station.

Militia officers searched the detained, seized bandanas with “Young Front” symbols, wrote down their names and set free. No reports were drawn up.

Activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” organized rallies of solidarity in different parts of Minsk. Oppositionists with portraits of political prisoners appeared in the city center and crowded areas.

The day of Belarusian solidarity has been marked for the third year every 16th day of a month. People have been coming to squares of their cities to express their solidarity with families of the kidnapped and repressed Belarusian opposition activists in Minsk, other Belarusian towns and abroad.