The wave of repressions that started on September 3rd with arrest of seven people suspected in the August 30th attack on the Russian Embassy in Minsk goes on. So far, nine people had to go through the sieve of being detained and re-detained on made-up charges, four more are still in prison.

As far as we know, none of the arrested were released within the legally allowed detention time limit of 3 days.

For example, this Sunday, Barys Ashchepkau’s detention term was prolonged for 3 more days, despite all the promises of the law enforcement. Barys was actively involved in supporting communications between parents and friends of the arrestees. During his arrest, police has broken down one of the doors in his apartment. And we still don’t know, which charges were brought against him this time.

Dzianis Bystryk was also detained for another 3 days, and we still don’t know which investigation was used to justify his arrest.

Mikalaj Dziadok was formally charged on October 1st with participation in the protest near Ministry of Defence headquarters last year. He’s currently being held in the detention facility on Volodarskogo St. in Minsk, awaiting his court hearing. It is notable that 29 days have passed from his first detention to the day the charges were brought up (according to Belarusian criminal code, detention of the suspect cannot last for longer than 3 days, or, as an exception requested by prosecution, for 10 days). Mikalaj really needs your support! Write to him: 220050 Minsk, Volodarskogo St. 2, cell 42, to Mikalaj Dziadok.

Aliaksandar Frantskievich is being held in the same detention facility. On September 20th (18 days after the first detention) he was charged with attacking a police station in Soligorsk. Investigators do not let his mother a meeting with her son. Police is currently engaged in actual blackmail: the say that the mother will only be allowed to see her son if he starts giving some sort of valuable “statements”. To support Aliaksandar, mail him at: 220050 Minsk, Volodarskogo 2 SIZO-1, cell 42, to Aliaksandar Frantskievich.

Periodically, some of the previously detailed are taken back to Regional Internal Affairs and Organized Crime Department offices. For example, on September 24th, at 7am in the morning, Organized Crime Department officers took Aliaksandar Buhajeu for “interview”. In the Organized Crime Department office, he was beaten by Alexander Litvinsky, the deputy chief of the Minsk City Organized Crime Department of Ministry of Internal Affairs, who was trying to get the <<correct>> statements. He was also subjected to all sorts of psychological pressure. After 6 hours of interrogation, he was released without any protocol.

The repressions against activists of the anarchist movement are going on all over the country: in Homel, Brest, Hrodno, Soligorsk. According to our information, over 50 people were interrogated by KGB. Many of them had their computers and books confiscated.

International solidarity actions took place in Moscow [1, 2], St Petersberg, Berlin, Vilnius, Kiev.

As a reminder, the arrests of anarchist and anti-authoritarian activists started in the early September. On September 3rd, seven people were detained as suspects in the Russian embassy attack: Anton Laptsionak, Ihar Bahachak, Siarhej Sliusar, Mikalaj Dziadok, Valeryja Khotsina, Aliaksandar Frantskievich, Aliaksiej Zhyhnerouski. For a long time, no information was released about the detainees. Only on the third day the law enforcement officials have informed the parents that they hold their children. Several days later, Tatsiana Sieminishchava, Uladzimier Valodzin, and Aliaksandar Buhajeu were detained. This time, instead of the Russian embassy attack, various other investigations were used instead. On September 24th, Ihar Truhanovich was detained as a suspect in attack on the Okrestino prison.

Everyone except Tatsiana Sieminishchava, Mikalaj Dziadok, Aliaksandar Frantskievich, and Ihar Truhanovich were released after 9 days (officially, they were released after 3 days and then immediately re-detained under pretense of another investigation without even letting them take a step outside the detention facility). Tatsiana Sieminishchava and Ihar Truhanovich were released after 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 taken. It is still unknown under which investigations it was done.

If you were called for interrogation or interview about the abovementioned people by KGB, Organized Crime, or Reginal Ministry of Internal Affairs Departments and you’re willing to talk about it, please contact minsksolidarity[at]riseup.net.

Friends and relatives of the detainees.