In anticipation of opposition action's — aimed to celebrate Dzen Voli - start at 18:00 on March 25, Belarusian authorities held a series of opposition activists' detentions. Moreover, the same day, there will be trials against some opposition groups' leaders, United Democratic Forces press service informs.
From 10:00 p.m., March 24, police officers are on duty at the house entrance of Dzen Voli applicant, BNF leader, Alexei Yanukevich. «Alexei Yanukevich was not at home last night. Policemen were on duty at the entrance till late night — wanted to give him some paper. What kind of paper — subpoena or notice about upcoming action — is unknown. My father wanted to take this paper, but they did not give it to him. Now Alexei Yanukevich is not at home again», UDF web-site quotes the words of BNF spokesman, Katerina Markova.
March 25, Nezavisimosti Avenue, near Cheluskintsev park, police detained activists of «Young Belarus «Movement», Tsimafei Dranchuk and Anton Rusin. According to detainees, as they drove a car on the avenue, unknown people hang out white-red-white flags on the houses in front of the park. Oppositionists came from the car to take pictures of the flags. After making a few pictures, they drove on, but soon the car was stopped by traffic police and they took the activists to the police department of Partisan district of Minsk.
Police officers made a protocol under Art. 17.1 of the Administrative Code (petty hooliganism) against Tsimafei Dranchuk. He is accused of using foul towards the traffic police. Tsimafei Dranchuk himself denies his guilt. It’s possible that a similar protocol will be made against Anton Rusin.
Two other «Young Belarus» activists, Artur Finkevich and Andrei Kuzminsky, are wanted by police to subject them to administrative detention under the protocol made on March 16. On that day, the oppositionists participated in solidarity actions with Vaukavysk entrepreneurs, Nikolai Autukhovich, Vladimir Osipenko and Mikhail Kozlov, and were detained by police.
Furthermore, the authorities fixed a trial against the head of the BNF Youth, Andrei Krechko, for 09:00 a.m., March 25. At 11:00 a.m., in Volozhin District Court, started hearing the case against the chairman of United Civic Party (UCP), Anatol Lyabedzka.
