Isolation from Internet

Democratic activist Ivan Stasyuk from Brest has been sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest.

As BelaPAN learnt from human rights activist Raman Kislyak, the court found Stasyuk guilty in violating article 17.1 (disorderly conduct) and article 23.4 (disobedience to a police officer).

According to the human rights activist, Stasyuk was detained in the evening on June 14 and guarded to a police department, where a report on disorderly conduct was drawn up against the activist.

Stasyuk spent the night in a temporary detention facility and appeared in the Maskouski district court on June 15. Hearing his case was postponed, because there were not witnesses from police.

Stasyuk was guarded to the police department to give explanations concerning the print materials seized from his earlier. In the police department, he was detained over a new accusation. According to policemen, he was using obscene language in relation to police officers on his way to the trial.

“Stasyuk did not admit his guilt in court. He claimed he had been detained by police officers without any grounds. As for the second accusation, he said there were not conflicts between him and policemen. According to Stasyuk, both stories were invented to arrest him and isolate from social networks,” the human rights activist said.

Kislyak noted that Stasyuk had earlier been detained on June 4 in Brest, when he was returning from Poland. The activist was taken to the KGB and questioned in connection with his activity on social network sites. Stasyuk was freed after a three-hour questioning. According to him, KGB officers threatened to apply pressure on his family.

On June 8, Ivan Stasyuk’s mother was questioned in the KGB in connection with activity of her son on social networks.

On June 13, the flat, where the activist lives with his parents, was searched.