Participants of Anti-referendum Actions Are Interrogated by Police

Last week the activists of Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada Mikola Astsiukhow, Young Front members Aliaksey Sheyn, Pavel Krasowski, Nasta Azarka, Iryna Piarvoykina, Artur Finkevich and Ihar Katkowski and the leader of Belarusian Freedom Party Siarhey Vysotski who took part in the mass protest actions in the center of Minsk on 18-20 October were summoned to the police for interrogation. The investigators were interested not only in the events of 18 and 19 October in the center of Minsk, but also why the witnesses belonged to unregistered youth organizations and who financed them, where their parents worked, etc. The co-chair of Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich said:

-- I got the feeling they make complete dossiers. They interrogate us as if we were not witnesses, but suspects. For instance: “When you came to the avenue and violated the law, why didn’t you prevent it?”. They pay interest not only to the events of 18 and 19 October, but also to the democratic structures.

Zmitser Dashkevich is of the opinion the authorities want to intimidate youth activists so that they wouldn’t take part in street actions of opposition in 2005 and 2006.

Despite the pressurization, Young Front activists are going to organize street protest actions on 14 February, 15 and 25 March and 2 April.

According to RFE/RL