Organizer of the meeting with EU Diplomats arrested

• 9.10.2007, 19:53

Uladzimer Katsora, assistant chairperson of the district organization of the United Civil Party, was detained today in Gomel. He was taken to the Chygunachny regional police station where, according to road police officers Mr Palianka and Mr Kalugin, a protocol was filed on coarse language and rude behavior.

Uladzimer Katsora was immideately taken to the Chygunachny district court. Judge Kozyrau sentenced the opposition activist to 7 days of arrest.

According to Mr Katsora, his arrest can be linked to two political events that are to take place in the end of the week:

“Actually I believe this is a provocation. That’s what I wrote. By the way, not the first provocation. It was linked to the meeting with the ambassadors of the European Union. I think that it is the main reason. I was to arrange the meeting on Friday. And one more reason - the European March which is to be held in Minsk,” the activist told Radio Svaboda.

That is the fourth arrest of an opposition activist held before essential political events. Uladzimer Katsora spent 23 days in jail before the presidential election and Day of Freedom celebrations.

The web-site’s www.chareter97.org remark: Today the Belarusian authorities are behaving the way they did in the beginning of 2006, before the Presidential election. Then many opposition activists were detained on allegations. Nevertheless, as the protest actions held on Kalinouski Square showed, such actions by the authorities lead only to a major action.