Police Detains Participants of Solidarity Action in Minsk

17.11.2006.

On November 16 actions of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners and the families of the disappeared took place in different cities of the country and abroad.

At 8 p.m. several dozen activists of the youth pro-democratic movement gathered near the rail way station in Minsk. They held lit candles in their hands.

The police began to detain youth activists 3 hours before the action. The action was dispersed in several minutes after beginning. RFE/RL reports, the lit candles remained on the ground. People could see them for quite a long time, until the police called for a riot squad, who trampled the candles out.

The riot squad policemen detained some action participants and 4 photographers. Among the detained there are Zmitser Khvedaruk, Siarzhuk Humilin, Nadzeya Klimovich, Krystsina Shatsikava, and Volha Zhyrauliova. The detained were taken to the railway police station.

The police filmed all detainees. Krystsina Shatsikava demanded from the police officers to stop filming without permission but they did not react. Mass media representatives were released after the police checked their IDs. The action participants were released in 3 hours.

The actions of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners and the families of the disappeared were held in several European countries: Poland, Lithuania, Belgium, Great Britain, and Ukraine. In Estonia several dozen of students from different countries of the world came out to the main square of Tartu. They held portraits of the disappeared and the political prisoners. Estonian TV broadcasted the action.