Brest: Participants of October Day of Solidarity Summonsed to Court

13.11.2006.

10 activists of the public campaign For Freedom who were detained on 16 October, during the Day of Solidarity action on, received writs to court. The trial was appointed on 15 November. The defendants are accused of violation of article 167 of the Administrative Code, part 1. They can be warned, fined 300-2 000 US dollars or sentenced to 3-15 days of arrest. Many activists affected by the political crackdown plan to take part in the election to local Soviets.

We should remind that on 16 October 2006 a Solidarity Day action took place in Brest. Members of public organizations and political parties stood with candles in MOPR Street. During the action the police detained 14 participants including representatives of Young Front, BPF Youth, Dzedzich and other parties and organizations. The detainees were taken to a police station. The policemen put down their passport data and released them. On 11-13 November all of the detainees received telephone calls from policemen who invited them to Brest Maskouski District Department of Internal Affairs for ‘conversations’. Instead of it the policeman Aliaksandr Tarasevich drew on them reports for violation of article 167, part 1 of the Administrative Code (participation in unauthorized action) and passed to them summons to court. There is an opinion that the interest of police to activists had been caused by the executive authorities’ intention to prevent their participation in the election campaign through considerable fines, or even administrative arrests.