Vitsebsk Christmas Trees guarded by police (Photo)

• 12.01.2010, 11:51

“Post number one” has appeared in Vitsebsk: the Christmas Tree in Victory Square where a white-red-white flag appeared on January 7, is guarded now.

The Christmas tree in Freedom Square in Vitsebsk is guarded too. Observation is taking place night and day; in daytime one or two policemen are on duty, and in the evening security tightened. Several walk around squares, Radio Svaboda informs.

Policemen who are on duty in Victory Square, explained that they are to guard the territory around the tree, preventing people from getting over the decorative fence. Everyone who shows “suspicious interest”, are to be detained. And in case of a failure, reinforcing is to be invited, and passers-by are to be warned about possible danger. Policemen are given sound amplifiers for that.

At noon January 7, a national white-red-white was hung out at the top of the 35-metres-high Christmas Tree set up on Victory square in Vitsebsk. 34-year-old Syarhei Kavalenka was detained near the tree. On January 10 the prosecutor of Vitsebsk decided to place him in the remand prison for 2 months. A case on charges relating Article 339 Part 2 of the Criminal Code (repeated hooliganism, or committed by a group of persons, or connected with committing less serious bodily harm) has been opened against him. He faces up to 6 years of imprisonment under this article.