Can someone confirm if the estimate for the total arrested around Belarus is 500 or 5000? Is this from the political parties (Milinkievich, Kozulin)?

• before the election, about 300-400 arrested (political party opposition)
• from 19-23.03.06, maybe 400 (Amnesty International: http://web.amnesty.org/pages/blr-230306-action-eng )
• night of 23-24.03.06, about 450 arrested
• total: about 1150-1250

Dependent media: http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article353478.ece The opposition said 500 people were detained.

Summary: “about 1000” seems more realistic.

i think the “5000” quote in the pga_europe article is probably a mutated meme (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/meme ).

there are for sure 500+ arrested, if to count only those arrested in minsk after the elections and due to the tent camp: more than 100 were arrested since the camp appeared in the city centre and at least 400 were arrested during the eviction of the protest camp. the police department doesn't give any exact figures about the arrested activists.

thanx for proposing the central column in the global IMC, hope it brings more attention to the situation here and can initiate activists worldwide to hold solidarity actions.

Before election arested about 300-400 persons from opposite headquarters, but after it were arested more than 500 activists: 459persons at last night and all another - for a period of the entire week, when activists attempted to break through the information and food blockade of Kalinovsky (October) square. Now very heavily and the fact who remained on the freedom - relatives and friends obtain from the primary structures of no information about the arrested people (arrangement and the terms of arrest). Activists employ all accessible means for obtaining this information. It today began known that in Minsk there are no more chambers for prisoners (every chamber for 6 persons include 12 persons). Them they transported into the city Zhodino. All this time above the prisoners they jeer (but they do not thrash), although the first aid was caused for 2 prisoners. Furthermore strong mockeries from anthropoid animals are directed against 60 women. Only 22 persons tempered - they are minor. …

Просмотреть сообщение целиком

Boud, it is not 5000 but it is about several thousands - the thing is that the numbers you mention concern only Minsk.

I've changed the picture in the article: previous one was a snapshot from the solidarity action in Moscow. You can probably edit the picture and leave only the bottom half there.

On number of detained people: over 1000 arrested only in Minsk, the breakdown you summarized is correct in that regard. In the same time, a lot of people were arrested around Belarus, both during the election campaign and during the post-election protests.

Last firm figure I've seen about people arrested in the country was several hundred (it was before the election), but in smaller cities and towns it is more difficult to track arrests the way "Vesna" does in Minsk, so it is safe to say that there is more arrests around the country than is reported. I think Thistle's estimate of several thousand across Belarus is correct.