Authorities tried to break pre-election picket, says candidate Finkevich

Artur Finkevich, the Young Belarus youth movement leader, who is running for the Minsk City Council, claims that the local authorities tried to break the candidate’s canvassing event on 18 April outside the ‘Druzhba’ cinema in the Chyzhouka microdistrict of Minsk.

‘There were two buses ‘on duty’ nearby the picket location from its very beginning. After people started gathering round us, some 20 riot policemen came up and began to mudsling me. Then the head fo my school appeared and started insulting me. All this was shot by a police cameraman, who was later substituted by a BT cameraman. Finally, there appeared a policeman, who gave me a summons, charging me with violating Article 23.34 of the Civil Code,’ says the youth activist.

The youth activist believes that the authorities do their utmost to prevent him from going into the City Council.

‘In case of a democratic election, I could win in my constituency. The majority of the voters I have visited are ready to vote for me,’ says Artur Finkevich.

‘Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections’