27.03.2008 Case of journalist Andrei Liankevich sent for revision

Yesterday Zavodski court judge postponed the trial over Nasha Niva journalist Andrei Liankevich to Thursday, 9 a.m. Yesterday the judge demanded the documents proving that Nasha Niva was an officially registered edition. Today, in several minutes after the trial began, judge Alena Laptseva ruled to send the case back for revision.

27.03.2008 Police search Minsk office of Radio Racyja

Nasha Niva learned from staff of Radio Racyja, about 8.30 a.m. KGB agents came to Minsk office of Radio Racyja. The office of the independent radio is located in a rented apartment. They stand at the staircase and detain everyone who approaches the doors.

26.03.2008 Ukrainian embassy can’t find its citizen detained yesterday

Ukrainian consul U. Serdeha told Radio Racyja, the Ukrainian embassy was looking for its citizen. The young man was not found in Maskouski court where, according to the Ministry of Information, he was supposed to be brought.

Ukrainian citizen Yury Biriuk was detained yesterday during the action Freedom Day 2008, together with other action participants. After the detention he was taken to Akrestsina jail.

Today in the morning Ukrainian consul U. Serdeha and lawyer of the international human rights organization A. Dzemidovich came to Maskouski court to defend the Ukrainian citizen.

25.03.2008 14 participants of the Freedom Day celebrations detained in Baranavichy

The police detained a group of people on their way to lay flowers to the Cross of Suffering in Baranavichy. All of them were taken to Baranavichy city police department for giving explanations and clarification. In some time two disabled and two teenagers were released. 10 people were taken to the detention center for drawing up reports and trials tomorrow.

25.03.2008 51 detained in Savetski police department

The human rights center "Viasna" found out, the police took 51 participants of the peaceful Freedom Day action to Savetski police department. They were brought on a police bus and police trucks. According to the detained, on the way to the police station they were beaten by riot policemen. There are 3 teenagers among the detained. The police is to release them in three hours. Now the police are video recording them.

25.03.2008 Mikita Krasnou and Ales Kalita interrogated at investigation committee of the city police department on Sapiorau Street.

Youth activists are interrogated as witnesses in a criminal case. The case is instigated after the mass protest action on January 10th. Franak Viachorka is also there. He has already been interrogated but is not released.

25.03.2008 21 detained in Maskouski police department

According to our information, 19 Belarusian and 2 Polish citizens were taken to Maskouski police department. There are 25 people in Savetski police department. The number of people taken to Centralny police department is unknown. We are trying to find out the names of the detained people.

25.03.2008 Nasha Niva journalists brutally detained

Journalists of independent newspaper Nasha Niva: photographer Andrei Liankevich and reporter Siamion Pechanko were detained near Viktory Square in Minsk. According to preliminary information, Pechanko is being taken to Maskouski police department. Liankevich was severely beaten during detention.

25.03.2008 Police begins mass detentions of Freedom Day participants

Just as the minister of internal affairs promised, armed forces of special police departments were used against participants of the peaceful rally in Minsk. The police officers use force to squeeze the protesters out from Yakub Kolas square in the direction of the Academy of Sciences. Ales Lapistki Junior is among the first of the detained.

A brutal fight started near Victory Square: armed riot policeman grab the participants of the celebration demonstration near the Place of Arts and throw them into police trucks.

25.03.2008 Bialynichy activist Aleh Miatselitsa detained

Democratic activist Aleh Miatselitsa has been stopped twice on his way to Minsk from Bialynichy. He and his daughter drove to Minsk to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian Democratic Republic.

25.03.2008 Mikita Krasnou detained

The human rights center “Viasna” found out, youth activist Mikita Krasnou was detained by policemen at the doors of his own apartment.

25.03.2008 BPF Youth chair detained

Ales Kalita was blocked in his apartment today. From early morning police officers were on duty near the doors, and police cars stood in the backyard of the building. When the youth leader managed to get out of the apartment, the policemen ran after him. Ales Kalita was detained near Pushkinskaya subway station and is being taken to a police station.

25.03.2008 Detained during Freedom Day action (list updated regularly)

According to preliminary information, the following people were detained during peaceful celebration of the 90th anniversary of Belarusian Democratic Republic:

25.03.2008 Two more detentions in Vitebsk

Several minutes ago the police detained UCP activists Ales Pazniak and Yan Taupyha. The activists stood on Svabody Square with unfolded national flag, when they were attacked by several policemen in plain clothes and road police officers. The detained activists have been taken to Kastrychnitski police department of Vitebsk.

25.03.2008 Andrei Sharenda tries to escape detention, jumps in river

Brest activists Andrei Sharenda and Mikhail Ilyin decided to hitch-hike to Minsk.

When they changed the cars in Kobryn, the police detained the activists. Mikhail Ilyin was detained right away. Andrei Sharenda managed to hide from police for some time. The police caught him only when he jumped into the river.