18-20 October: Mass Arrests and Trials

On 18 October the participant of the unauthorized action “Sum up Election Results” Ales Kalita phoned to Human Rights Center “Viasna”. He said that about 100 people were detained near the presidential residence in Minsk and loaded into two buses. He also called surnames of five persons who were detained together with him:

1. Nasta Azarka
2. Maksim Dvaretski
3. Zmitser Kalkho
4. Dzianis Kryvanosaw
5. Aleh Miatselitsa

Another source told that among the detainees there was the “Zubr” member Pavel Khivuk. The detainees were taken to Minsk Leninski Borough Board of Internal Affairs. The action was attended by many foreign observers and journalists, which can be one of the reasons why the detainees were finally let go.

According to RFE/RL, On 19 October special police forces detained the photo-correspondent of the “Associated Press” agency Siarhey Hryts together with participants of the protest action at the crossroads of Skaryna Avenue and Engels Street.

In the evening of 19 September there took place another action of protest against the total falsification of the election and the referendum. The police detained about 50 persons. The head of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka and the correspondent of the Russian TV channel NTV Konstantin Morozov were pulled into “Patio-Pizza” in the center of the city and beaten there in presence of frightened visitors. When Morozov was thrown out of the pizzeria, there was blood on his forehead and his expensive camera was smashed. The correspondent of Radio Liberty Yury Svirko recorded an interview with Marozaw and saw a worker of Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s security behind. When the correspondent asked the security worker to comment on the situation, the latter kicked him in stomach. Other people who stood there tried to calm him down, so he also hit a girl who stood near him and ran away to the presidential residence.

On 20 September the detainees of 19 September were tried. Here are the results:

1. Mikalay Artsiukhow – fined 40 basic units
2. Dzianis Artsiushkevich – 5 days of jail
3. Andrey Baranaw – fined 50 basic units
4. Yury Fabishewski – 5 days of jail
5. Artur Finkevich – 15 days of jail
6. Maryia Hamsetskaya – 5 days of jail
7. Mikalay Hancharow – 3 days of jail
8. Aliaksandra Hayewskaya – 5 days of jail
9. Ales Kalita – 10 days of jail
10. Mikhail Kandrashow – 10 days of jail
11. Ruslan Kharkevich – 10 days of jail
12. Ihar Khatkowski – fined 40 basic units
13. Pavel Khivuk – 5 days of jail
14. Pavel Krasowski – 10 days of jail
15. Siarhey Krasowski – fined 20 basic units
16. Mikhail Kuzniatsow – 3 days of jail
17. Darya Maldavanava – 10 days of jail
18. Siarhey Mankevich – 5 days of jail
19. Siarhey Mikhalenka – 5 days of jail
20. Yaraslaw Navumenka – 3 days of jail
21. Vasil Parfiankow – 7 days of jail
22. Zmitser Pazniak – fined 50 basic units
23. Iryna Piarvoykina – 5 days of jail
24. Siarhey Rylkow – 3 days of jail
25. Pavel Seviarynets – 15 days of jail
26. Mikola Statkevich (head of Belarusian Social Democratic Party “Narodnaya Hramada”) – 10 days of jail. The sentence was made by the judge Tserashkova
27. Uladzimir Shydlow – 3 days of jail
28. Yawhen Vawkavets – 10 days of jail
29. Maksim Viniarski – 5 days of jail
30. Kanstantsin Yekel – fined 50 basic units
31. Tatsiana Yelavaya – 5 days of jail
32. Pavel Yukhnevich – 10 days of jail
33. Zmitser Zakharka – fined 50 basic units