Democrats to be released on Solidarity Day
- 16.10.2007, 10:36
Today four activists of the youth democratic movement will be released from the prison in Akrestsin Street after their preventive detention executed before the European March: member of the European March organization committee Zmitser Barodka, democratic activist Leanid Navitski, youth leader Mikita Sasim, human rights activist Sviatlana Garokhavik.
Leanid Navitski was first detained for the 100 EU flags he had. Zmitser Barodka and Sviatlana Garokhavik were waiting for him after his exoneration near the prison when the police detained them and accused of coarse language. Then on October 12 Mikita Sasim and Paval Yukhnevich were detained: Mikita was arrested for 5 days, Paval - for 7.
Human rights activist Iryna Toustsik was in the court. She told Radio Svaboda:
“These people were detained preventively so that they would not come to the European March. They were sentenced to 15 days of arrest. Mikita Sasim was detained later, so he got only 5 days. Everything was clear at court. It didn’t matter what the lawyers or the police said. It seemed that everything had already been planned and that the arrest was unavoidable. The question was - how long.”
Leanid Navitski, Sviatlana Garokhavik, Mikita Sasim, and Zmitser Barodka will be released on Solidarity Day that the Belarusian democratic forces have been marking on 16th each month for two years.
Young activist will meet Leanid Navitski, Mikita Sasim, Zmitser Barodka, and Sviatlana Garokhavik at about 5 p.m.
Yaugen Afnagel and Paval Yukhnevich will be released on October 18. Yaugen Afnagel, the applicant of the European March, was detained several minutes after he had left the building of the Minsk Municipal Executive Committee were he had been discussing the route of the European March with authorities. Yaugen, just like other detained, was accused of minor hooliganism.
In general 50 democratic activists in Minsk and Belarusian regions were detained before the European March. Several more people were either arrested of blocked in their apartments one day before the March.