Homel police continue haunting participants of an action in the memory of victims of Stalinist repressions

On 8 November the deputy chairman of the United Civil Party Vasil Paliakou was summonsed to the Navabelitski District Police Department in Homel. There he was charged with organizing an unauthorized mass procession (Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code).

As it turned out, the police qualified as procession the commemoration of the victims of Stalinist repression, which took place on 3 November, during which representatives of opposition organizations laid wreaths to the memorial crosses and cleared the area around them. It's worth noting that these crosses were installed outside the city, near the highway “Homel-Chernihiv”, in place of mass executions of people in the years of Stalinist repression. One of the crosses is in a forest.

The police also want to bring to account at least one more participant of the event – Uladzimir Shytsikau, which is reflected in the police report: “About 12 persons took part in the unauthorized procession, including Vasil Paliakou and Uladzimir Shytsikau”. It is not known so far whether other participants of the action will be brought to account as well.

The memorial actions were held by Homel oppositionists every year. This is the first time they have problems with the police.