Viktar Ivashkevich will undergo trial for “Freedom Day”

• 26.03.2011, 13:53

Opposition activists were taken to Akrestin Street prison. The exact number of the arrested will be unknown until the trial date.

Viktar Ivashkevich, a coordinator of civil campaign “European Belarus” and a co-chairman of “Belarusian Movement” (Belaruski Rukh) party board was detained close to “Yakub Kolas” Square on March 25 and accused of minor hooliganism.

“Narodnaya Volya” reports: Zavodskoi Police District officers spent four hours consulting their higher-ups and finally drew up a report against the politician.

According to special squad soldiers’ records, Ivashkevich “was swinging his arms, cursing loudly and wasn’t following legal orders of the police officers”. The politician will be kept in Akrestin Street prison for three more days before the trial.

Mikalai Dzemidzenka, one of the “Malady Front” (Young Front) leaders, remains at the Police District as well. Several other people have been detained for more than five hours. There are grounds to believe that administrational reports have been drawn up against them and they will have to remain in Akrestin Street Prison until trial.

According to civil rights activists’ information, more than 50 people were arrested in Minsk on March 25 during the “Freedom Day” celebrations. Most of them were released from Police Offices without reports being made. BelaPAN was informed of that by Valyantsin Stefanovich, a civil rights activist.

Human Rights activists list 53 people detained preventively. Stefanovich reported: “Most of them had to spend for about 3 hours at different Police Offices and were released later without reports being made. But several people are still under arrest.”

The activist wasn’t able to indicate the exact number of those behind bars mentioning only “about ten”. “Either they are still under arrest or we simply don’t know if they were released.” Stefanovich said.

According to his words, the detained will undergo trials on Monday.