Civil activists detained on the Ukrainian border for 28 hours
Detention of the bus to Kyiv near Mar'yina Horka. Phot by nn.by
On 7 December the activist of the civil campaign “Alternative” Dzmitry Silchanka was detained at the Ukrainian border. He was going to Kyiv by a route bus “Homel-Chernihiv” together with his friends in order to take part in the peaceful protest actions.
In the evening of 6 December police and KGB stopped the bus with Belarusians near Mar'yina Horka and sent it to the impound yard. However, the activists managed to get to Homel by some other kind of transport. Those, who continued their way by the bus “Homel-Chernihiv” were checked first on the Belarusian border, an then on the Ukrainian border, after which the Ukrainian border guards asked the passengers to leave the bus and write the undertakings that they would not participate in the protests in Kyiv. At this time, guards with dogs searched the bus and allegedly found a package of drugs under Dzmitry Silchanka's seat. A report was drawn up on the activist.
The passengers had to wait on the border for a long time. They didn't see whether the border guards had really found something.
On 8 August 2013 the bus passengers were interrogated by the Security Service of Ukraine, calling them one by one on a specially prepared list, probably passed from Belarus. It's worth noting that such a list was composed by the Belarusian police before the departure from Homel.
The people are asked the same questions, not related to drugs, about the place of study and work, membership of social and political organizations and the aims of their arrival in Ukraine." (Charter'97)
According to ccl.org.ua, under the seat of one of the activists going to Kyiv there was found a package with a substance of vegetable origin, probably with narcotic properties. This served as the formal reason for the prolonged detention of the detention of the bus at the border by the Security Service of Ukraine bus at the border. All in all, the passengers of the bus were kept at the border for 28 hours.
Yesterday the Ukrainian journalists contacted the State Border Service and were told that the information was trued and the Security Service of Ukraine was working on the site, but no charges were given to anyone.
At the same time, four other passengers of the bus which was stopped in Belaru hired a private car to get to Kyiv. They were detained by the traffic police near Chernihiv. During the inspection of the car somebody punctured its tires.
