Last week the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) and the Human Rights House Foundation (HRH F) sent a letter to the General Procurator in Minsk asking for the release of youth activists (picture ). The Norwegian NGOs consider the charges to be politically motivated. Despite the persecution of the opposition and the preventive arrests of youth activists, more than 10,000 Belarusians celebrated Freedom Day in Minsk yesterday, according to Charter ´97.  (26-MAR-07)

Letter to general procurator
Read more about the Freedom Day

This article, based on the news from Charter 97´,  has been edited for republication by HRH F / Agnieszka Cholewinska and Borghild T. Krokan

In the letter to the General Procurator, the two organisations expressed their deep concern with the increase in political persecution against activists of Belarusian youth organizations. The NHC and the HRH F demanded the release of the arrested members of the Young Front, i.e. Aleh Korban, Dzmitry Fedaruk, and Zmitser Dashkevich.

Gross violation
The two Norwegian NGOs emphasised in their letter that criminal prosecution of young activists under article 193.1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus constitutes a gross violation of human rights as it infringes the right to association, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

den voli bigThousands gathered yesterday
According to Charter ´97, Belarusian authoritires arrested over hundred oppositionists prior to the Sunday´s march. However, despite the ongoing persecution of activisits, more than 10, 000 people gathered in Minsk to peacefully celebrate Freedom Day.

The centre of the city was blocked by a special task regiment (former riot police), and areas were closed off. The regime seemed to fear repetition of last year´s events, when dozens of Minsk dwellers stayed on the square protestesting against falsified election results.  

When people started assembling near the blocked square, policemen began to push them on their backs by truncheons and fists. Demonstrators were squeezed away from the October Square, according to Charter ´97.

Beaten and detained
By 1 p.m. a column moving along Independence Avenue managed to march along Nyamiha Street and turn into Vistor´s Avenue. Peaceful protesters who came to the holiday with flowers, were standing near riot policemen with truncheons and asked them not to commit a crime and give them the opportunity to celebrate the holiday in a correct way.

However, they were not heard. Protesters were reportedly brutally squeezed away again. According to an awarded human rights defender, Ales Bialiatsky, some of these peaceful demonstrators were beaten up and detained by the police.