At night to 24th of March Belarusian SWAT has liquidated tent camp of opposition’s adherents in the center of Minsk. More then 500 people were arrested because of the participation in peaceful action of protest. (30-MAR-06)
Photo by Reuters.
Belarusian “Maidan”
On the 19th of March Belarusian opposition began unlimited peaceful mass protest actions against the results of presidential elections. In spite of that during 11 years state television channels have been working hard to create negative attitude of Belarusian society to opposition and to enforce fear for even a possibility to be not loyal to authorities, 20000 of people came out to the streets. 30-tents camp was spread out at the main Minsk square. About 500 of activists were there day and night. Every evening thousands of people joined them there with the demands to not accept these elections results and to organize new elections.
Because of the international and domestic journalists, police did not arrest anyone at the square. They detained people coming to and from Oktabrskaya square. All these people were charged in hooliganism or participation in unsanctioned rally and have got till 15 days of arrest.
President Lukashenko called the fact of these acts’ holding “the evidence of democracy in Belarus”; he did not comment the arrests of its participants.
The liquidation of “freedom-island”
How ever in 3 days, at night to 24th of March, Belarusian SWAT has liquidated tent camp and arrested all attending people. About 500 detained persons were charged in participation in unsanctioned rally. Among them some foreign citizens, one of them is ex-ambassador of Poland in Belarus. Also 30 local and foreign journalists were arrested there.At the time of arrest many people were incurred brutal force from the side of SWAT.
By the version of Belarusian television “people were just tired to be at the square”.
Facade of Trials
Many people spent more then 3 day before the court in isolation wards. Trials have been preceded with the violations of procedural order. Very often these people were adjudged even without witnesses at the court. Because many HR organizations of Belarus were liquidated by authorities HR defenders could not be presented at the courts. No courts, neither law enforcement agencies gave any information to the relatives of arrested people. Destiny of some of them became known only in a week after their being in prison. The list of all the arrested people is still complementing. ( see http://spring96.org)
Never before in Belarusian history such a big quantity of people at once have got administrative penalty: 5-15 days of arrest, big fines 290-2200 $ (for example: teacher”s salary is about 200$). There is only one verdict of non-guilty.
Day of Freedom
Nevertheless, next day, on the 25th of March, tens of thousands of people came out to Minsk streets to celebrate not official holiday “Day of Freedom”.
Mass of this meeting showed that Belarusian nation has awoken and does not afraid to express its views openly.
During this peaceful action about 100 people were also arrested. Among them, ex-candidate for the presidential position Alexandr Kazulin. Criminal case against him was already brought to the court. He is charged in malicious hooliganism and the organization of grouped actions of citizens which disturb the public peace.
Commenting all these events leader of the united opposition Alexandr Milinkevich said «Authorities played in democracy for 3 days and that’s it. It has showed its animal self».
