New searches and interrogations

Liubou Kameneva, an activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, was interrogated at KGB on 5 February. She came to the KGB department at 10 a.m. together with her attorney. However, KGB officers refused to admit the attorney to the interrogation and threatened they would treat it as a ‘refusal to give testimony’.

The interrogation lasted for about an hour. The investigator hinted he knew everything about the activist. He even offered her a cup of green tea without sugar (the way she likes it). The room where the interrogation took place was decorated in the Christian style: there was a Bible, calendars with photos of Belarusian temples and even a Valentine card from a joint action of the BCD and the Young Front hanged on the walls.


Hlybokaye

On 28 January Kastus Shytal, an observer of the civil campaign Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections and member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, received a telephone call from the local police inspector Alkhimionak.

The policeman tried to invite Kastus for a talk concerning the election monitoring. He also said that the police had received a ‘paper’ concerning the activist. Soon after it police officers paid a visit to Kastus’ mother and tried to question her concerning his activities as an election observer. Nex time they tried to pass her a writ for her son, but the woman received to take it as he didn’t live with her.

Kastus Shytal considers such actions of the police as persecution for registering violations of the electoral legislation at the election precinct #2 in the town of Hlybokaye during the presidential election.


Homel

Three KGB officers held a search at the apartment of Uladzimir Siakerka, the Chairperson of the Homel region organization of the Fair World Party. Siakerka was away in Rechytsa at that time, at an assembly of the Fair World. The search was conducted in connection with the ‘mass riot’ criminal case.

On 19 December Uladzimir Siakerka monitored the presidential election at an election precinct and didn’t participate in the mass action of protest in central Minsk. Nevertheless, he was interrogated by KGB some time after the action.


Asipovichy

Aliaksei Tsiulkou, a deputy of the Asipovichy District Council, member of the Belarusian Christian Democracy and electioneering agent of Vital Rymasheuski, was interrogated at the local KGB.

On 4 February Tsiulkou received a telephone call from Vadzim Marozau, a KGB officer from the Asipovichy inter-district KGB department, and invited him for interrogation. However, the activist was going away on a mission and refused to come to the KGB without an official writ.

He found a writ in the mailbox on his return home. The interrogation lasted for two hours and concerned the events of 18 and 19 December. By the way, Aliaksei Tsiulkou didn’t manage to come to Minsk on 19 December, as he was set down a minibus in the town of Rudzensk. The activist refused to answer the questions why he had been going to Minsk and who had invited him to come there.


Haradok

Leanid Autukhou, Chairperson of the Haradok organization of the Belarusian Popular Front Party and activist of the Speak Truth campaign, was interrogated by KGB when he came to the police department to change his old passport.

On 19 December Leanid observed the presidential election in Haradok. He didn’t manage to get to Minsk, as he was followed by unidentified persons till late in the evening.

On 13 January his apartment was searched by the KGB. They confiscated several CDs and flash cards – the computer had been confiscated earlier because of Autukhou’s failure to pay a fine imposed on him for holding street actions with the use of national white-red-white flags.

On 7 February Autukhou was also summonsed to court to remind that he needed to pay the fine timely. Being unemployed, he pays 10,000 rubles (about $3) a month. The confiscated computer was sold for 360,000 rubles (about $120). He needs to pay 1,066 rubles (about $355). The court warned Leanid that he could be drawn to administrative responsibility for the failure to pay timely.