The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

The Hrodna journalist Hrazhyna Shalkevich was summonsed to the Hrodna regional KGB department. They wanted to pass her an official summons on Saturday evening, but she was absent from home. At about 2 p.m. on Sunday she was visited by a police officer, who issued her with a summons for 6 p.m. of that day. The journalist wasn’t told why she was to come to the KGB department on a day-off, Sunday.

On 9 January members of the civil movement “Young Front”, registered in Czech, held a press-conference in Minsk to express their concern with the new intimidation campaign, launched by KGB.

On 8 January guards of the Minsk KGB office detained an activist of the “European Belarus”, Mikita Kavalenka, and journalist Aliaksandr Barazenka. The action lasted for about a minute: Kavalenka unfurled white-red-white flags and portraits of political prisoners, while Barazenka shot it on video.

KGB officers paid a visit to his apartment on 30 December. The activist was taken to the Minsk KGB office, where a 90-minute “prophylactic talk” was held. Raman is under age, that's why his father had to go there with him.

Six years ago a terrible family murder was committed in the village of Vialikaya Mashchanitsa. Six people were killed, including two small children. A day later five villagers, aged 18-24, were detained. Soon they were charged with the murder. The investigation lasted for almost 1.5 years.