Detentions for distribution of independent press go on

• 17.12.2008, 17:35

Zmitser Kavalhin and Katsyaryna Shakal, activists of the United Civil Party (UCP), are detained for distribution of independent newspaper “Novy Chas”.

The activists were detained in the building of the Leninski district executive committee of Minsk, though the newspaper is registered in the Ministry of Information.

As Ihar Shynkaryk, head of the executive committee, told the press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the young people were detained in an initiative of Uladzimir Litsetski, executive office of the committee.

“He called militia, but militia officers refused to come to the committee when they learnt the newspaper was registered,” Ihar Shynkaryk said.

It should be reminded that Ivan Kruk, famous democratic activist, one of the organizers of struggle against nuclear power plant construction in the Astravets district, was detained for distribution of “Novy Chas” newspaper in the Astravets district executive committee (the Hrodna region). Officers of the district executive committee drew up a report on “illegal distribution” of the newspaper and threatened to send the document to the Astravets district prosecutor’s office to examine activity of Ivan Kruk.