BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/01/2008

Belarusian Court Frees Detainde Small-Business Activist

A court in Barysau, Minsk Oblast, on January 8 dismissed charges of hooliganism against Viktar Harbachou, the leader of the unregistered organization For The Free Development of Enterprise, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported. Harbachou, his wife, and his 13-year-old son were detained earlier that day after an incident in which, Harbachou said, an unknown man tried to provoke a fight. "He first hit me in the back, and then he picked on my son and wife," Harbachou said. After questioning Harbachou's son, the judge ruled out that there was no evidence against the family. Harbachou told RFE/RL that the previous day, a Belarusian law enforcement officer warned him about the planned provocation. He added that the authorities did everything possible to prevent him from attending a meeting with representatives of Belarusian businesspeople in Minsk. Belarusian entrepreneurs are planning a demonstration on January 10 in central Minsk to protest against a presidential decree restricting the activities of certain small-business owners. AM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2008/01/3-cee/cee-090108.asp