Appeal of ERB journalist to be considered on 6 July

At 3 p.m. on 6 July an appeal against an unlawful arrest of a journalist for the “European Radio For Belarus” Pavel Sviardlou will be considered at the Minsk City Court.

The 15-day arrest ends on 7 July, which means Pavel will have served almost the whole term irrespective of the court verdict.

Bear in mind that Pavel Sviardlou, who received an official accreditation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was detained near the porch of his house in the morning of 22 June. According to eyewitnesses, two people in mufti approached him and told to come with them to a police bus. According to the police, the journalist allegedly used obscene language without any reasons and didn't react to remarks of two riot policemen, as a result of which he was guarded to the Maskouski District Police Department of Minsk.

The police didn't let Pavel phone his relatives and set forth his own version of the situation in the detention report. The same day the Maskouski District Court of Minsk sentenced him to 15 days of arrest. As Pavel had no opportunity to contact his relatives, he came with a lawyer when the verdict was being announced.

On 25 June Pavel had a meeting with his lawyer at the detention facility in Akrestsin Street in Minsk, as a result of which an appeal against the unlawful arrest was filed. The trial was initially appointed at 3 p.m. on 29 June. However, Sviardlou's appeal allegedly hadn't been received by the court by this time, that's why the hearing was postponed.

Bear in mind that on the day of Pavel's detention a blue bus and a police car kept duty near the entrance of the ERB's editorial office. People in mufti openly watched the entrance and didn't hide they were waiting for another journalist, Vital Ruhainy. However, the latter successfully escaped detention and continues his work from the Warsaw office of the ERB.