Vitsebsk: Barys Khamaida gets imprisoned as a result of provocation

11.07.2008. Tags: freedom of expression, detentions, arrest, provocation, Khamaida.
Source: RFE/RL.

On 8, 9 and 10 July the police detained Barys Khamaida for handing out independent press. Each time he was detained for two hours and then was released.

On 11 July the police examined the newspapers and magazines and took away several copies of Kurier iz Vitebska newspaper. No reports were composed on the detainee.

As Barys Khamaida says, at the police station he was once again warned that he should stop distributing press during the official pops festival Slavonic Bazaar, otherwise he would be detained every day. However, Khamaida did not agree to ‘take a rest’ and returned to his usual place near the house #28 in Lenin Street right from the police station.

Being unable to stop Khamaida’s activities, the police decided to stage a provocation.

At 11 a.m. on 11 July Khamaida was taken to Chyhunachny district police department of Vitsebsk for registering his application about an assault of an unknown hooligan. However, at the police department it was found that a policeman in civvies watched the incident. He alleged that Khamaida had provoked the fight by addressing oral insults to the hooligan, who was taken to the police department together with him. Then the offender was released, and Khamaida was taken to court, which sentenced him to three days of arrest.