BISS Academic Director Detained in Minsk

Aliaksiej Pikulik, the Academic Director for Vilnius-based Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies and Professor of the European University at St. Petersburg was detained in Minsk on May 31. He is accused of petty hooliganism.

Mr. Pikulik is placed in the remand centre in Minsk.

Aliaksiej Pikulik’s mother was informed on his detention by police.

The court trial of Mr. Pikulik is expected to take place on June 1.

On April 6 at 11:40 Aliaksiej Pikulik’s car was stopped in Minsk by the road police. They required that he should follow them to the Office of Internal Affairs of the Centralny District for identification procedure. The BISS Academic Director and Professor of the European University in St Petersburg was suspected of fighting and forging documents. The latter allegation was used as a pretext to confiscate his passport and iPad.