Opposition activists have gathered today on October Square in the centre of the city to pay tribute to the memory of Vice Speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th convocation Viktar Hanchar, and businessman and public leader Anatol Krasouski who went missing 10 years ago. By 6 p.m., when the rally was to start, there were many riot policemen in mufti. Public transport was not stopping on the square on purpose. People were searched near the square. White-red-white flags, banners and portraits of Hanchar and Krasouski were searched.
When oppositionists lined along the street with portraits of Hanchar and Krasouski, at least 50 riot policemen in uniform appeared on the square. Thus, the total number of policemen sent against peaceful demonstrators, was about 100.
First riot policemen were circled the peaceful demonstrators. Protesting against that, demonstrators sat on the ground, still holding portraits of the abducted oppositionists. In five minutes riot policemen started to seize people, and hitting them by truncheons and kicking them, started to pack them into police buses.
At the same time riot policemen tried to hide testimony of their crimes – while some riot policemen were arresting demonstrators using force, others interfered with the work of photojournalists. Photographers were not allowed to film total lawlessness. Riot policemen in mufti were boorishly pushing them, closed camera lenses, damaging equipment.
The beaten protesters were taken to the police department of Tsentralny district of Minsk in three buses. Among the arrested are the leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikalai Statkevich, activists of the “European Belarus” Zmitser Barodka, Yauhen Afnagel, Paval Yukhnevich, Palina Kuryanovich, a pro-democracy activist Syarhei Skrabets, a former political prisoner Andrei Kim and other opposition activists.
In a few minutes after the disband of the main group of the participants of the rally, a few more people raised the portraits of the abducted politicians. Among them was the coordinator of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Zmitser Barodka.
“I was late, as bus number 100 hadn’t stopped on October Square. When I was running from the state department store to October Square, I saw how people were pushed into the bus with the use of brutal force. I took a portrait from the square. It was a portrait of Anatol Krasouski. First I was surrounded by journalists, then by riot policemen. In this way, I was standing on the square for about half an hour. Then four riot policemen in mufti were following me all the way to my home. Today’s “merits” or disbanding the rally of solidarity with the families of the abducted opposition leaders are to be shared with Lukashenka by Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė and Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, who met with the Belarusian dictator today,” Zmitser Bandarenka told to www.charter97.org website.
On 17 September the Board of the Belarusian Association of Journalists adopted a statement on the fact of violation of journalists’ rights that took place 16 September during an opposition action in the center of Minsk.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists protests against gross violations of professional rights of journalists that took place during opposition actions of 9 and 16 September 2009. BAJ demands bringing people who were in charge of the violations to account.
16 September 2009 police officers used force to prevent journalists of Belarusian and foreign media from covering events that took place during an action to commemorate the 10th anniversary of disappearing of a politician Viktar Hanchar and a businessman Anatol Krasouski.
Each journalist was controlled by two people in plain clothes, who were pushing the media workers from the protesters and brutally prevented them from filming the protest action, despite of the fact all the journalists had valid press cards.
The same happened 9 September 2009, when police officers prevented journalists from covering a picket of protest against Russian troops entering the territory of Belarus to participate in joint army manoeuvres.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists:
— considers it to be unacceptable when journalists are prevented from conducting their professional duties, as the society got deprived of the right to receive and impart information granted by the Constitution;
— reminds police officers and other state bodies about the right of a journalist to be present at mass actions and events that are important for the society and to report on them (according to Article 34 of the Mass Media Law of Belarus);
— expresses its serious concern about such facts becoming systematic again, that shows there are particular orders to security and police enforcements officers that lead to breaking laws;
— urges Public Prosecutors’ Offices and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to assess the events and bring people who were in charge of the violations to account;
— calls upon Public Prosecutors’ Offices and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take measures of preventing violations of rules concerning activities of press.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists will take all necessary actions so that such actions of police officers do not go unpunished and so that such violations of journalists’ rights never happen again.
