BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
18/03/2008
Belarusian Authorities Jail Activist Over Pro-European Leaflets
A Minsk court on March 17 sentenced youth activist Zmitser Kaspyarovich to 12 days in jail for allegedly using foul language with police officers, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported. Kaspyarovich was detained on March 15 by the traffic police, who found in his car leaflets calling for integration with Europe. At the police station, Kaspyarovich was charged with the use of foul language and detained in a pretrial detention center. Meanwhile, a group of people facing criminal charges over their participation in the January 10 protest against government restrictions on the activities of small-business owners petitioned the Prosecutor-General's Office on March 17 to drop the charges and punish the officials who filed them. The Minsk city police opened a criminal case against at least 10 people, accusing them of "organization of, preparations for, or active participation in actions flagrantly violating public order." AM
Source:
http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2008/03/3-cee/cee-180308.asp
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