Vitsiebsk: Personal Guards for Opposition Activists

14.10.2005.

According to RFE/RL

Recently the police have started keeping duty near house #28 in Lenin Street in Vitsiebsk. As soon as the policemen see Barys Khamaida, Uladzimir Plieshchanka or Aliaksandr Salauian they call a car and take them to a police station. This week Mr. Khamaida has been detained four times, because he hands out independent editions there everyday.

During the last detention the police composed a report on Barys Khamaida for distribution of Vybar, the unregistered newspaper her issues and distributes. This time he was accused in sale of newspapers in inappropriate place.

However, there were no witnesses and Mr. Khamaida insisted he accepted donations for development of democratic movement. As a result, judge of Vitsiebsk Chyhunachny Borough Court Iury Urban rejected the police accusation. At the same time, the detainees Uladzimir Plieshchanka and Aliaksandr Salauian were interrogated at Vitsiebsk Chyhunachny Borough Board of Internal Affairs concerning “their possible relation to the explosion of 22 September in Vitsiebsk”.

It’s quite interesting that at first the police were looking for a car with Russian numbers and three persons who were described by the witnesses. Then suddenly the unknown organization Belarusian National Liberation Army took the responsibility for the explosion and the police interest switched to opposition activists.