Homel: activist of anti-alcoholic company threatened by anonymous
On
4 June Natallia Kryvashei was collecting signatures within the framework of the
civil campaign “Stop drinking – start living!” under a proposal on amending of
legal regulations concerning the sale of alcohol and measures on preventing the
total alcoholization of the population.
When she was at the central park, near the Orthodox St. Peter and Paul
Cathedral, she was approached by a well-dressed man, looking like an official.
He started threatening her, stating it was prohibited to collect signatures, as
it had been equaled to picketing, and she could face problems because of it.
He also added that she was to have received permissions from the ideological
department of the executive committee and the park administration. When
Natallia asked him to introduce himself, he quickly went away.
After this the activist moved to another place in order to escape possible problems.
By the way, activists of the anti-alcoholization campaign had been detained
some time ago, while handing out leaflets near the “Homel” department store,
but were released without getting any charges.
