Homel: riot police detains journalists during flash-mob against prohibition of performance of Lyapis Trubetskoy rock band

On Sunday, 13 March, civil activists held a flash-mob in the central market of Homel to protest against the prohibition of the concert of the prominent Belarusian rock band Lyapis Trubetskoy. By the way, the fact of prohibition of the concert witnesses the trustworthiness of the information that Lyapis Trubetskoy and some more bands, and artists were put on an unofficial black list by the Belarusian authorities.

At about 3 p.m. journalist Aleh Razhkou was detained while covering the action. “I came to the action to see how the flash-mob was carried out”, said Aleh Razhkou to Salidarnasts. “Two riot policemen came up to me and asked what I was doing there. I introduced myself, told them I was a journalist and showed my certificate of member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists. However, they doubted that the document wasn't forged and guarded me to the Tsentralny District Police Department of Homel,” commented Mr. Razhkou.

There the police asked him where he lied and studied and with what editions he cooperated. Aleh Razhkou was released in an hour, after giving oral explanations. The police drew up the protocol of exaction of the certificates of member of the BAJ and the International Federation of Journalists for a check-up of their authenticity, and the journalist was made to sign the undertaking to appear at the police on the first summons.

The flash-mob gathered about 50 people, who stood in the market singing the song Hrai. They were approached by the riot police, who demanded that the young people stopped the action and went away. The event was shot on video by another journalist, a member of the BAJ Larysa Shchyrankova. The police accused her of unlawful videoing and tried to detain her. Larysa refused to come with them on her own will and proposed the “brave policemen” to lead her to the police station by force, as a result of which they had to get off.