19 December again: Chronicle of events (updated)

Belarusian law enforcement agencies have taken several measures to prevent opposition activists from joining the anniversary rallies of 19 December 2010 post-election protest expected this evening across the country.

At about 9 a.m. this morning, Vitsebsk road police detained local opposition activist’s car outside the city.

Police have been looking for former political prisoner Mikita Likhavid, reports say.

At about 11 a.m., the security officials of the KGB central office detained cameraman of the Nasha Niva newspaper Tatsiana Haurylchyk, press photographer Yulia Darashkevich and another unidentified journalist, as they were covering an action staged by the activists of the Ukrainian FEMEN movement. According to some reports, FEMEN’s cameraman Australian national Kitty Green has also been detained.

At about 11.20 a.m., another former political prisoner Aliaksandr Barazenka was detained outside the KGB central office. He has been reportedly taken to the police department. The reasons for the detention are yet unknown.

Young Front activist Nasta Palazhanka has been warned by an official of the Prosecutor General’s Office about the inadmissibility of staging a mass event on 19 December.

At about 12.50 this afternoon, unknown persons detained former political prisoner Siarhei Kazakou. He was pushed into a car and taken to Minsk Leninski District Police Department.

At about 2 p.m., the Belarusian Association of Journalists received information on the detention of two journalists in Minsk Svabody Square – Volha Chaichyts and Siarhei Kavaliou.    

At 4.20 p.m. plainclothes officers detained Belarusian Christian democracy leader Vital Rymasheuski as he was leaving home. The politician was pushed into a bus and taken to Minsk Frunzenski Police Department.