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.