Legal outrage

• 29.06.2011, 14:47

On June 29, Zmitser Shukhrai, a coordinator of the organizing committee to create Belarusian Christian Democracy party, was sentenced to 7 days in custody.

As BelaPAN learnt from human rights defender Raman Kislyak, the Maskouski district court of Brest found Shukhrai guilty of disorderly conduct (article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

According to the human rights activist, Shukhrai was detained in Brest on June 28 at noon and guarded to a police department in Maskouski district. A report on administrative offence was drawn up. The activist spent the night in a temporary detention facility.

“I regard the detention of Shukhrai as arbitrary. It is a violation of his right to freedom and privacy,” the human rights defender said. “In my opinion, it was a preventive detention to prevent Shukhrai from taking part in silent actions scheduled for June 29 and July 3. This is a form of fighting against dissent that has become traditional in Belarus. On the pretext of administrative cases on hooliganism, arbitrary detentions and arrests of democratic activists are held in the country ahead of important political and social events.