Activist harassed over flyers campaigning for strike
Human rights activists say there has been another case of persecution of a civil society activist. As reported by Anastasiya Loika, on August 18 Minsk police detained Raman Khalilau.
He was detained at the hostel of the Minsk-based Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radio-Electronics, where he is in his 5th year. Police officers, who were waiting for activist, searched his room and found leaflets on the subject of the labor movement, as well as instructing how to organize strikes and other content.
The police also confiscated a personal computer and a mobile phone. The activist was taken to the police department of Savetski district and charged with “disorderly conduct” (Article 17.1 of the Administrative Code). On August 19, the court sentenced him to 10 days of administrative arrest.
However, after his release, Raman Khalilau was once again invited to the police department, where he faced new administrative charges under Article 17.11 of the CAO (“production, distribution, and (or) storage of extremist materials”). Meanwhile, there was no expert examination of the seized flyers, and now it is the court who will decide.
The police officers returned the phone, but took the PC, which they said was a device for making leaflets.
Raman Khalilau faces a fine or an administrative arrest.
It is expected that the activist will be tried today at the Court of Savetski district.
Later in the evening, Judge Biaskishski of Minsk’s Savetski District Court sentenced Raman Khalilau to 10 days of administrative arrest.
