Narauliany district: civil activists get fined for entering radiation zone
The police fined the Mazyr citizens who
came to a village to help the WWII veteran who lives in an abandoned
village on the radioactively polluted territory in the Naroulia
district (in the north-eastern Belarus).
Adam Rahavets is
well-known in Mazyr. He often accordion in the city center, at the
market entrance. He is about 90 years old, he survived the Second
World War and now lives along in the village which had been resettled
after the Chernobyl accident. There are no amenities in the house.
Even the electricity was turned off in accordance with a ruling of
the local authorities. There are no other dwellers in the village
either.
On 27 January the Mazyr citizens paid a visit to Mr.
Rahavets and brought him foodstuffs and shoes. They also intended to
coldproof the house and chop wood. The people created a forum at the
city website in order to collect more necessary things and received
many proposals of assistance.
However, when the activists
came to the abandoned village again on 3 February, they saw a police
car. At the entrance of the house they were met by policemen. Two
boys were detained and taken to the Narauliany District Police
Department, where they were given charges under Article 16.03 of the
Code of Administrative Offenses, "Violation of the demands of
radiation security regime on radioactively polluted
territories".
The trial of the youngsters, whose only
crime is the wish to held on the lonely war veteran, will take place
in Mazyr in several days.
