Belarusian oppositionists arrested for EU symbols

• 22.06.2009, 9:08

Arrests for EU symbols go on even on the day of Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner visit.

In the evening June 21, activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Aleh Ladutska and Uladzimir Kumets were on the intersection of Plekhanov Street and Rokossovsky Avenue.

The guys were pasting posters calling to join the civil campaign “European Belarus”. Their actions were noticed by militiamen, who drove up, got out of the car, and searched the guys. They found some posters with EU symbols on Aleh Ladutska. After that the oppositionists were guarded to the Leninski district militia department of Minsk.

Some hours later reports under article 21.14 (violation of rules of town maintenance) were drawn up, and the guys were set free.

The activists will most likely be fined, as other participants of the civil campaign, detained under the same article.

It should be reminded that Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner responsible for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, arrived in Minsk on June 21. According to the European Commission’s Delegation to Belarus, Ferrero-Waldner will outline “the ways in which the relationship between the EU and Belarus can develop in future if and when the authorities take further positive steps with regard to democratic freedoms, human rights and respect for independent media”.