The first actiong of protest against the shameless falsification of the results of the election and the lawless referendum took place on 18 October. It was attended by numerous foreign observers and journalists. That´s why all the detainees were released. The detainees of the second protest action, 19 October, received huge fines or 3-15 days of jail. Nevertheless, the protest actions in Kastrychnitskaya square in the center of Minsk continue.
On 18 October the participant of the unauthorized action “Sum up Election Results” Ales Kalita phoned to Human Rights Center “Viasna”. He said that about 100 people were detained near the presidential residence in Minsk and loaded into two buses.
According to RFE/RL, On 19 October special police forces detained the photo-correspondent of the “Associated Press” agency Siarhey Hryts together with participants of the protest action at the crossroads of Skaryna Avenue and Engels Street.
In the evening of 19 September there took place the second action of protest against the total falsification of the election and the referendum. The police detained about 50 persons. The head of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka and the correspondent of the Russian TV channel NTV Konstantin Morozov were pulled into “Patio-Pizza” in the center of the city and beaten there in presence of frightened visitors. The commandmant of Minsk special police forces, colonel Padabed, personally participated in the beating of Liabedzka. When Morozov was thrown out of the pizzeria, there was blood on his forehead and his expensive camera was smashed. The correspondent of Radio Liberty Yury Svirko recorded an interview with Marozaw and saw a worker of Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s security behind. When the correspondent asked the security worker to comment on the situation, the latter kicked him in stomach. Other people who stood there tried to calm him down, so he also hit a girl who stood near him and ran away to the presidential residence.
On 20 September 33 detainees of 19 September were tried. Seven of them were fined, 26 received 3-15 days of jail. Among the imprisoned there are the leader of Malady Front Pavel Seviarynets (15 days of jail), head of Belarusian Social Democratic Party “Narodnaya Hramada” Mikalay Statkevich (10 days of jail) and five girls:
Maryia Hamsetskaya – 5 days of jail
Aliaksandra Hayewskaya – 5 days of jail
Darya Maldavanava – 10 days of jail
Iryna Piarvoykina – 5 days of jail
Tatsiana Yelavaya – 5 days of jail.
Many of the prisoners belong to the youth “Zubr” movement. On 21-22 October three more members of this organization were imprisoned.
Besides, the authorities have already brought a criminal case for the organization of the mass protest actions and are searching for the organizers.
