Mahiliou: Members of Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Hramada) Detained for Having ‘Freedom’ Badges and White-Red-White Stripes on

According to the local human rights activist Barys Bukhel, in the morning of 9 May in the center of Mahiliou five youth activists intended to congratulate veterans of the World War II on the Victory Day. A policeman who patrolled the square where the official celebration was to take place came up to them and demanded to hide the badges and the stripes ?#152;not to scare people’. They didn’t obey and were taken to Mahiliou Leninski Borough Board of Internal Affairs. Hanna Iliina, Maryna Nestserava, Aliaksandr Paplyka and Ivan Piryn were released in two hours. The detainees asked to admit to the BBIA Barys Bukhel in the capacity of their representative, but the police refused. They interrogated the youngsters without composing any reports. The youngsters refused to sign any written explanations. They put down into the complaint book of Mahiliou BBIA their complaints about the illegal detention and non-admission of their representative for giving legal aid to them (this right is guaranteed by article #62 of the Constitution). One more detainee, under-aged Siarhei Kastyliou was detained for five hours, till his elder brother came to the BBIA to take him away.