Brest police pressurize participants of electoral pickets

As stated by Chairman of the Brest regional branch of the United Civil Party, Uladzimir Vuyek, the day after the electoral picket of the UCP candidate Dyiana Kastsiukovich, held on January 30, he received a subpoena to the police station.

“The police wanted to me to give an explanation why, where and how I conducted the picket, but I answered that I didn't violate anything and held the picket in an allowed place as a member of the electoral team of our candidate and the head of the regional branch of the party,” said Mr. Vuyek.

However, the police were not satisfied with the answer. After a few days they came to the work place of Dyiana Kastsiukovich and required explanations concerning the picket. Among other things they asked what the UCP chairman Anatol Liabedzka was doing that day in Brest and whether he collected signatures for the abolition of the car tax. Dyiana Kastsiukovich refused to answer the questions, referring to her constitutional right not to testify against herself, and put it down in the police report.

“Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”