Mass Detentions at Freedom Day Manifestation
During the manifestation, devoted to celebration of the 85th anniversary of the Belarusian People Republic, the police detained many people. 25 of them were taken to Minsk Leninski Borough Board of Internal Affairs, 29 – to Minsk Maskowski BBIA. According to some sources, the police continued beating detainees there.
Minsk City Executive Committee allowed gathering in Kulman Square and procession to Bamhalor Square. However, people gathered at 12 o’clock near the central postal office. The police blocked the Church of St. Symon and Alena. Then appeared policemen from special police forces with baffles and trunceons. They ringed the demonstrators. Then some busses came near, the ringed people were dragged into them.
Here’s the comment of Valiantsin Stefanovich, lawyer the Human Rights Center “Viasna”: “I saw it myself: the police seized a man with white-red-white umbrella, telling him to shut it. He refused, then they started to detain him, but people didn’t let them, so they broke the umbrella. The celebration of the day, when Belarusian People’s Republic was declared, usually ends with mass detentions. The authorities dislike this holiday very much, as it contradicts to the official conception of Belarusian nationhood.”
Here’s the list of detainees taken to Minsk Leninski BBIA (by the way, after 2 p.m. there came an ambulance).
Among the detainees:
1. Balak
2. Baranaw
3. Yury Belenki
4. Fiodar Beshankow
5. Vasil Bialan
6. Dzianis Chykaliow
7. Dashkevich
8. Volha Dayneka
9. Henadz Drankovich
10. Leanid Dzeyka
11. Yury Fabishewski
12. Filipovich
13. Zmitser Halka
14. Viktar Hara
15. Valery Hebeniow (Lida citizen)
16. Aleh Hnedchyk
17. Zmitser Hurvo
18. Aliaksey Karol
19. Aleh Korban
20. Vital Koshalew (taken to Minsk City Police Board of Leninski Borough and released after showing his certificate)
21. Zmitser Kaspiarovich
22. Maksim Liakhovich
23. Ivan Miadzvedzew
24. Miatsilski
25. Artsiom Mirdovich
26. Nikalenka
27. Aksana Novikava
28. Siarhey Papkow
29. Vasil Parfiankow
30. Count Aliaksandr Prushynski (taken to Minsk City Police Board of Leninski Borough, soon released)
31. Aleh Radziuk
32. Rak
33. Anatol Rybkavets
34. Sakhadzin
35. Piatro Sakolchyk
36. Tatsiana Sandovich
37. Savich
38. Pavel Seliazniow
39. Uladzimir Seliazniow
40. Pavel Seviarynets (detained before the action)
41. Aliaksey Shein (BelaPAN correspondent, taken to Minsk City Police Board of Leninski Borough and released after showing his certificate)
42. Shramko
43. Hanna Siwchyk
44. Viachaslaw Siwchyk
45. Vitawt Siwchyk (6 years old)
46. Stosik
47. Dzianis Trubko
48. Natalia Valakida (journalist of “Zhoda” newspaper, released after showing her certificate)
49. Leanid Valuy
50. Natalia Vasilevich
51. Iryna Viatkina
52. Siarhey Vysotski
53. Ales Yaskalevich
54. Uladzimir Yukho
55. Pavel Znavets
The list is being specified.
