Belarusian Christians Sue Minsk Police
Christian organizations in Minsk filed a lawsuit today against police in
connection with the violent dispersal on November 22 of Christians
gathered in the Belarusian capital's October Square, RFE/RL's Belarus
Service reports.
Activists from Minsk's Orthodox Christian, Roman Catholic, and
Protestant churches have been gathering on the square daily since the
beginning of November to pray together for the release of political
prisoners.
On November 22, police -- many of them in plainclothes -- forced some of
the demonstrators to leave the square, using insulting and vulgar
language.
Activist Yulia Fralova told RFE/RL that the police also threatened the
Christians. Fralova said the protesters had filed a lawsuit with the
Minsk city prosecutor and would send a copy to police chief Alyaksandr
Barsukou.
"Copies of the lawsuit will also be sent to the leadership of Minsk's Orthodox and Catholic churches," Fralova said.
The believers listed in their lawsuit the names of the police officers who they allege insulted them.
