Homel activist Yury Rubtsou in hospital after 30 days of hunger strike

Opposition activist Yury Rubtsou has been released from the Homel-based detention center. After his release from a detention center in Minsk on May 21, where the activist had served 25 days of arrest imposed as a result of his involvement in the Chernobyl Way demonstration, he immediately returned to his native city of Homel. However, Rubtsou was detained outside the railway station and charged with disobeying police officers and using foul language in a public place. The court later sentenced the activist to another five days of arrest.

The activist was expected to be released from the detention center at 4.10 a.m. last night. But his relatives, who had come to meet him, were told that “Rubtsou has already been released”. The activist’s wife and son were unable to find him, and he did not return home.

Only later it was possible to find him at the police department – as it turned out, the activist had been taken to the police station “for a conversation”. After Rubtsou was released, he was hospitalized because he had spent 30 days on hunger strike in protest against the tyranny of the police.