The repressions, that started on September 3rd with arrests of seven individuals suspected of involvement in the August 30th attack on the Russian Embassy in Minsk continue. Nine people had so far gone through sometimes multiple arrests on made-up charges, four more remain in prison.
As far as we know, not a single arrestee had been released within the 3 days limit prescribed by the law.
For example, this Sunday Barys Ashchepkau’s detention term was prolonged for 3 more days, despite police officers’ promises to release him earlier. Barys was actively involved in coordinating communication between parents and friends of the arrestees. Police broke his apartment door during the arrest. We still don’t know what he is accused of this time.
Dzianis Bystryk was detained again for another 3 days, and we are still not aware what he is accused of.
Mikalaj Dziadok was formally charged on October 1st with participating in the protest near the Ministry of Defence headquarters last year. He is now awaiting his trial in the detention facility on Valadarski St. in Minsk. He had spent 29 days in detention, before charges were brought against him (according to the Belarusian criminal code, a suspect can be detained for a maximum of 3 days, a term that can only be extended to 10 days on a special request by the prosecution). Mikalaj really needs your support! Write him: Mikalaj Dziadok, cell 42, SIZO -1, Valadarski St. 2, Minsk, 220050, Belarus.
Aliaksandar Frantskievich is held in the same detention facility. On September 20th (18 days after the initial arrest) he was charged with attacking a police station in Salihorsk. Investigators do not allow his mother to visit her son. What police is doing, can only be described as a blackmail: they are saying that the mother will only be allowed to see her son if he starts giving some "valuable testimonies”. To support Aliaksandar, write to: Aliaksandar Frantskievich, cell 42, SIZO-1, Valadarski St. 2, Minsk, 220050, Belarus.
Some of the people, who had previously been detained and released, are again repeatedly summoned by the police. For example, on September 24th, at 7am, Organized Crime Department officers took Aliaksandar Buhajeu for a “talk”. Once in the Departments' offices, he was beaten personally by Alexander Litvinsky, the Deputy Chief of the Minsk City Organized Crime Department of the Ministry of Interior, who was trying to force the "correct" statements out of him. He was also subjected to all sorts of psychological pressure. After 6 hours of interrogation, he was released without any written record of his arrest.
The repressions against activists of the anarchist movement are continuing all over the country: in Homel, Brest, Hrodna, Salihorsk. According to our information, over 50 people had been interrogated by KGB. Many of them had their computers and books confiscated.
International solidarity actions took place in Moscow [1, 2], St Petersburg, Berlin, Vilnius and Kyiv.
The arrests of anarchists and anti-authoritarian activists started in early September. On September 3rd, seven people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the Russian embassy attack: Anton Laptsionak, Ihar Bahachak, Siarhej Sliusar, Mikalaj Dziadok, Valeryja Khotsina, Aliaksandar Frantskievich, Aliaksiej Zhyhnerouski. For a while, no information was released about the detainees. Only on the third day, the law enforcement officials have informed the parents that they were holding their children. Several days later, Tatsiana Sieminishchava, Uladzimier Valodzin, and Aliaksandar Buhajeu were arrested. This time, various other accusations were brought up not related to the Russian embassy attack. On September 24th, Ihar Truhanovich was arrested on suspicion of involvement in an attack on the Akrestsina prison.
Everyone except Tatsiana Sieminishchava, Mikalaj Dziadok, Aliaksandar Frantskievich, and Ihar Truhanovich were released 9 days later (officially, they were released after 3 days in detention and then immediately re-arrested under pretense of another investigation without even allowed to set foot outside the detention facility). Tatsiana Sieminishchava and Ihar Truhanovich were released after having been detained for 6 days. Alexander Frantskevich was held without charges for 18 days, and Mikalaj Dziadok — for 29 days!
On September 30th, Dzianis Bystryk and Barys Ashchepkau were arrested. It is still unknown what they are accused of.
If you were called for an interrogation or an interview by the KGB or police about the people mentioned above and you are willing to talk about it, please contact minsksolidarity[at]riseup.net.
Friends and relatives of the detainees.