BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

30/07/2007

Belarusian Police Block Opposition Rally

Police prevented opposition activists from staging an unauthorized rally on Independence Square in Minsk on July 27, intended to mark the 17th anniversary of Belarus's Declaration of State Independence, Belapan reported. Police officers blocked the rally by cordoning off the square and detaining a dozen activists, including United Civic Party Chairman Anatol Lyabedzka and Belarusian Popular Front Deputy Chairman Viktar Ivashkevich. Most of the detainees were released after several hours, but two of them, Franak Vyachorka and Yaraslau Hryshchenya, are to stand trial on July 30 on as yet unspecified charges, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported. Meanwhile, Dzmitry Fedaruk, a leader of the unregistered opposition Youth Front, was sentenced on July 27 to 10 days in jail. Police officers detained Fedaruk earlier the same day and accused him of using obscene language in public, a charge frequently used by the authorities to jail opposition activists. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/07/3-cee/cee-300707.asp