Criminal investigation set against European Belarus activist

• 25.08.2010, 11:01

Officers of the criminal investigation department persecute Palina Kuryanovich, an activist of the European Belarus civil campaign.

Militiamen and riot militiamen have been watching outside the houses of Palina and her mother, the European Belarus website reports.

Yauhen Afnahel, Palina Kuryanovich’s husband and European Belarus activist, received a telephone call from officer of the criminal investigation department Alyaksandr Kurachka, who said Palina Kuryanovich had to appear in the Pershamaiski district militia department for a “conversation”. Afnahel answered his wife would come only upon receiving a summons executed in accordance with the law. The same man called again on Tuesday and demanded that Kuryanovich should come without a summons.

According to the officer, Kuryanovich is called in connection with loss of a riot militiaman’s handheld transceiver during detention of opposition activists at the street action “We Demand International Investigation!” on August 16. The officer said the footage showed the girl picking up the walkie-talkie from the ground when peaceful demonstrators were being detained and beating.

According to Afnahel, his wife really raised the walkie-talkie and gave it to the first militiamen she met after the turmoil caused by peaceful demonstrators detention had been over.