150 detained in weekend protests

125 people were detained during yesterday’s protest as tens of thousands continued to stage daily demonstrations in various cities of Belarus, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Twenty-nine were detained the day before yesterday, during a women’s protest in Minsk. Most detainees, however, were men. They include several journalists and human rights defenders.

The bulk of protesters detained yesterday were held at the very beginning of the peaceful demonstration, as riot police blocked several hundreds in central Minsk. Only males were arrested, despite no apparent resistance to the law enforcement.

Viasna knows the names of a hundred of them.

Three persons, two of them players of the Krumkachy FC, were arrested over an incident when a group of protesters tried to prevent plain-clothed men from dragging a demonstrator into an unmarked van with no license plates. The detainees were badly beaten during arrest.

Several protesters were also detained in Žodzina, Pinsk, Orša, Mahilioŭ, Hrodna, Rečyca, Horki, Homieĺ and other cities, including several journalists.

Journalist Ales Sabaleuski detained by men in plain clothes in Mahilioŭ. Photo: belsat.eu