Anniversary of 11 April terrorist act marked with detentions

Actions in the memory of victims of the terrorist act of 11 April 2011 were held in different cities of Belarus. Some of their participants were detained by riot policemen.

In particular, Anastasiya Shuleika, Yury Khodus and some other people were detained during the the solemn opening of the memorial sign "River of Memory" near the entrance to the Kastrychnitskaya metro station in Minsk.

According to the information of a coordinator of "Revolution through Social Networks" Uladzimir Kumets, the detainees were guarded to the police department and charged with using obscene language in public.

In Vitsebsk, citizens organized themselves via social networking sites to lay flowers to the symbolic sign of the geographical centre of Vitbesk. A year ago, a similar action to pay tribute to the memory of the killed people was held neat a pedestrian underpass nearby. This year, police officers threatened to detain the people participating in an “unauthorized action”, how they called laying flowers.

People had to get to the other side of the street to the eternal flame memorial. Among the people who came to lay flowers was Tatsiana Kavaliova, the sister of executed death convict Uladzislau Kavaliou, held liable for the terrorist act.

“We came to the Eternal Flame, lit candles and laid flowers. A police car appeared and policemen detained a man with a camera and a young man. We were laying flowers while people in mufti were standing near,” she said.

Both detained men were released after a conversation about inadmissibility of taking part in unauthorized actions. According to one of them, independent journalist Dzmitry Kazakevich, policemen did not like he had a camera. A major, who refused to say his name, told Kazakevich rudely that the presence of a journalist with a camera on such events may have negative consequences for him.

In Homel, the police prevented people from gathering for a memorial action near the symbolic sign marking the center of the city. The sign was ringed by the police. Through some flowers were laid to the monuments in the morning, they were thrown away to the dustbin by police officers. About ten youngsters lit icon lamps and laid flowers near the Eternal Flame, but the flowers and the icon lamps were removed by the police as soon as they went away.

The "zero kilometer" sign in the center of Homel was guarded by riot police till about 8 p.m.

People had to get to the other side of the street to the eternal flame memorial. Among the people who came to lay flowers was Tatsiana Kavaliova, the sister of executed death convict Uladzislau Kavaliou, held liable for the terrorist act.

“We came to the Eternal Flame, lit candles and laid flowers. A police car appeared and policemen detained a man with a camera and a young man. We were laying flowers while people in mufti were standing near,” she said.

Both detained men were released after a conversation about inadmissibility of taking part in unauthorized actions. According to one of them, independent journalist Dzmitry Kazakevich, policemen did not like he had a camera. A major, who refused to say his name, told Kazakevich rudely that the presence of a journalist with a camera on such events may have negative consequences for him.

In Homel, the police prevented people from gathering for a memorial action near the symbolic sign marking the center of the city. The sign was ringed by the police. Through some flowers were laid to the monuments in the morning, they were thrown away to the dustbin by police officers. About ten youngsters lit icon lamps and laid flowers near the Eternal Flame, but the flowers and the icon lamps were removed by the police as soon as they went away.