Independent journalists detained in Hlubokaye

Journalists Viachaslau Piashko and Anastasija Reznikava were taken to a police department and interrogated.

They were detained at approximately 12 o’clock on26 November at the entrance to Hlubokaye. The journalists were headed to prepare a video for the web-site of the New Times newspaper, the press-service of Belarusian Association of Journalists reports.

The car, driven by Viachaslau Piashko, was stopped at the entrance to the city by road police.

Having checked the documents, policemen first said that they were alerted by the VIN number. Then they inspected the trunk and asked to follow them to the police department. According to the policemen, the car and its passengers allegedly suited the description of some wanted swindlers.

First Viachaslau Piashko was called for a conversation, then Anastasija Reznikava. Roughly half an hour later both were released, having put down their passport data and phone numbers. It was senior police agent Mikalaj Kvatera, who spoke with them.

“It all looked quite suspiciously”, - Viachaslau Piashko shared his impressions with the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists after having been released. To journalists request to show them the description of the criminals, based on which they had been detained, the policemen showed some unconvincing document on the screen of a computer with a general description of a Caucasian man. They refused to print the document out.