Vitsebsk: Siarhei Kavalenka goes on hunger-strike in prison

On 8 July, the Vitsebsk activist of the Conservative-Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front was put in a temporary detention facility for 10 days on decision of the Pershamaiski District Police Department.

Siarhei Kavalenka said he had been keeping the hunger strike since 9 July to protest against his unlawful arrest, accusations of disorderly conduct and the criminal sentence for hanging out a national white-red-white flag on the city’s Christmas tree.

Last time, Siarhei Kavalenka was detained near his house for alleged violation of serving the suspended sentence for hanging out the national flag.

The police drew up a report saying he returned home after 9 p.m., which was considered a violation of the regime of his penalty. The activist’s mother Lidziya Kavalenka says the policemen were waiting for Siarhei at the entrance and didn’t let him in the house until 9 pm.

The activist’s relatives worry that Siarhei Kavalenka can be sentenced to restriction of liberty or even imprisonment instead of suspended sentence as a result of this ‘violation’.