Vitsebsk police search apartment of opposition activist

Vitsebsk opposition activist Barys Khamaida is now serving arrest for allegedly resisting the police. The reasons for the search are yet unknown, Radio Free Europe’s Belarus service reports.

The fact that Barys Khamaida was brought home in a police car with barred windows was reported by the activist’s neighbors. They said the search did not last long – about an hour.

Perhaps the search is linked to Barys Khamaida’s sentencing to three days of arrest. He, together with his friend and an activist Aliaksandr Salauyian, were detained on March 24, on the eve of Freedom Day. The detention took place on the outskirts Vitsebsk. One of the activists had a white-red-white flag.

Since both Khamaida and Salauyian have no families and live alone, there was nobody to report on their detention. And the journalists learned about it rather late. Their friends who brought the imprisoned activists some food were explained that both were in prison over alleged disobedience to the police. The Chyhunachny District Court Judge Alena Tsyhankova sentenced both for three days in jail. They are expected to be released this evening.