Zmitser Dashkevich and Mikola Dzemidzenka get arrested for action of protest

On 12 February activists of the Young Front held a protest picket against arrests of leaders of entrepreneurs Uladzimir Asipenka, Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Liavonau near the pre-trial prison in Valadarski Street in Minsk. They were standing near the jail chanting ‘Freedom to Political Prisoners’. The picket lasted for 20 minutes.

After the street action, the leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich and activist Mikola Dzemidzenka were arrested by guards of the National bank, commanded by an officer of Lukashenka’s guard service. The guards called up riot policemen, who took the oppositionists into the city police department #1 of Leninski district of Minsk.

As said by Zmitser Dashkevich, at the police department riot policeman Uladzislau Labkouski took him into a cell and beat him in the kidneys area and on head by fists. He insulted the oppositionist and threatened him.

After the city police department the oppositionists were taken to the police department of Leninski district. A report over article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (‘organizing or participating in unauthorized mass events’) was drawn up against the opposition activists at Leninski district militia department.

Dashkevich and Dzemidzenka were kept there until 3 a.m. and then transferred to the prison in Akrestsin Street. In the bag of Mikola Dzemidzenka leaflets about “The Action of Love” planned by the Young Front on 14 February were found. The city authorities banned the rally on Yakub Kolas square in the centre of Minsk.

Today Zmitser Dashkevich has been fined 1.4 million rubles and Mikola Dzemidzenka – 1 225 000 rubles.