Arrests for charitable meals in Belarus

• 10.11.2009, 12:50

Young people serving free meals to the homeless were detained in Belarus.

Alyaksandr Kazlyanka and his girlfriend were detained by militia in Brest on Sunday. The young people are serving porridge with meat near the church, Euroradio reports.

Alyaksandr Kazlyanka was seized his passport. Reports were drawn up against youth. The young people applied to the Brest department of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.

“A district militia officer came up to us, he didn’t introduce himself and spoke in an unceremonious manner. A man in mufti accompanied him. He didn’t introduce himself as well. He asked questions, ordered the militiaman what he should do,” committee member Valyantsin Lazarenkau said.

According to Valyantsin Lazarenkau, Brest pacifists have been carrying out this action for 5 years. They served food to 15 people on Sunday. The young people had a poster depicting an aircraft throwing food instead of bombs. According to officers in the Leninski district militia department, serving food to the homeless can be regarded as an unauthorized picket.