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<h1 class="ha"><span id=":ww" class="hP">A call for international
solidarity from the friends and relatives of the social
activists and anarchists recently arrested in Minsk, <span
class="il">Belarus</span></span></h1>
<br>
<br>
The unraveling repression against social activists in <span
class="il">Belarus</span> indicate<br>
<p>
the exacerbation of the pre-election hysteria of the Lukashenko<br>
government. The hunt for activists started on the same day as the
dead<br>
body of Aleh Byabenin, the editor of the oppositional news site,
was<br>
found.<br>
<br>
On the 3rd of September seven people were arrested: Bogachek Igor,<br>
Khotina Valeria, Slusar Serge, Dedok Nicholas, Zhingerovsky
Alexei,<br>
Franzkevich Alexander and Laptenok Anton. The cause for their
arrest<br>
was the Molotov cocktail attack on the Russian Embassy in Minsk
on the<br>
30th of August. The previously unknown anarchist group, group
Freedom<br>
Friends, took responsibility for the attack, claiming it was a<br>
solidarity action for the defenders of the Khimki forest. There
is no<br>
shared opinion on the Freedom Friends group though many people
consider<br>
them as a provocation of the KGB.<br>
<br>
The following days three more people were arrested: Tatiana<br>
Seminischeva, Vladimir Volodin and Alexander Bugaev. At this time
there<br>
are 10 detainees,except Alexandr Bugaev all of them are social<br>
activists who participate in various social and ecological
movements<br>
and hold anarchist views.<br>
<br>
Almost every day house-searches are conducted in the flats of
activists,<br>
interrogations are happening in Minsk and other cities (Homiel,<br>
Harodnia, Salihorsk). The detention terms of those arrested on
the 3rd<br>
of September was already prolonged two times, today (11.09) the<br>
detention terms of those arrested on the 8th of Septermber were<br>
prolonged too. So far no official accusations have been lodged.<br>
<br>
The fact that the detainees are suspected of more and more cases
(the<br>
arson of the door of the bank, the attack on the Trade Union House
and<br>
the arson of the ATM that happened this spring) is evidence that
the<br>
investigation has no real accusations to bring against them. So
they are<br>
trying to discredit the detainees and present them as simple
criminals,<br>
saying that ball cartridges and plant-based drugs were found
during<br>
the house-check. However, this is not the first time the
authorities<br>
have used this method: after the previous elections in 2006,
during the<br>
protests in the tent city on the main square syringes and porno<br>
magazines were «found».<br>
<br>
According to Valentin Stefanovich, a human rights advocate, the
rights<br>
of the detainees are blatantly violated. Not being able to
withstand<br>
the pressure during interrogation one of the girls cut her palms
with<br>
an office knife. For 4th days now, there is still no exact
information<br>
about the current situation of those detained on the 3rd of
Septermber.<br>
<br>
As is known, there are no borders for solidarity. We call out for<br>
actions everywhere because we really need your support! What can
you<br>
do? Spread the information about the situation and bring up the<br>
discussion in various circles, organize demos and write letters to
the<br>
Belarusian Embassies in your country. And, of course, we would be<br>
grateful for financial support (as quite a lot of money is needed
for<br>
lawyers). You can donate money through Moscow ABC with a note "for<br>
Minsk" - <a href="http://wiki.golosa.info/en/index.php/Donate"
target="_blank">http://wiki.golosa.info/en/index.php/Donate</a><br>
<br>
Watch for updates here: <a
href="http://belarus.indymedia.org/blog/minsksolidarity"
target="_blank">http://<span class="il">belarus</span>.indymedia.org/blog/minsksolidarity</a>.<br>
For more information you can always contact us:<br>
minsksolidarity[at]<a href="http://riseup.net" target="_blank">riseup.net</a><br>
<br>
Thank you,<br>
<br>
Friends and relatives of those arrested<br>
(Minsk, <span class="il">Belarus</span>)<br>
<br>
</p>
<p><b>BACKGROUND:</b></p>
<p><strong>Last updated on Sunday, October 3rd, 22:00</strong></p>
<p>Detention of <strong>Dzianis Bystryk</strong> who were arrested
at September 30th is prolonged for 3 days. The case is unknown
yet.</p>
<p>Situation with <strong>Barys Ashchepkau</strong>‘s detention is
unclear yet, most probably it’s prolonged too.</p>
<p><strong>Ihar Truhanovich</strong> was released same day with
written undertaking not to leave the place. He was hunger-striking
first 4 days of his detention.</p>
<p><strong>Mikalaj Dziadok</strong> (detained at Sep 3) was moved to
detention facility on Sep., 24. His detention is prolonged for 10
days. He isn’t officially accused, suspected in participating in
action against military maneuvers “West 2009” on Sep., 19, 2009
(art. 339 of criminal code).</p>
<p>Mikalaj’s address for solidarity letters is <strong>Belarus,
Minsk, Valadarskaha str., 2, Mikalaj Dziadok</strong>.</p>
<p>As far as we know <strong>Aliaksandar Frantskievich</strong> on
20 of September was officially accused in attack on police station
in Salihorsk. He is not allowed to meet with his mother until he
will make “valuable testimonies/confessions”.</p>
<p><strong>Aliaksandar Frantskievich</strong> was moved to detention
facility in Minsk. Aliaksandar’s address for solidarity letters is
<strong>Belarus, Minsk, Valadarskaha str., 2, <span class="caps">SIZO</span>-1,
k. 46, Aliaksandar Frantskievich</strong>.</p>
<p>Other arrested activists were <strong>not</strong> officially <strong>accused</strong>.</p>
<p>During September lots of house-searches and interrogations
happened in Belarusian cities Minsk, Salihorsk, Homiel, Hrodna and
Brest. Tens of various people (from subculturals and football fans
to anti-nuclear and <span class="caps">FNB</span> activists) were
questionned about their communications, cell calls, friends
circle, activities, asked to recognize people on the photos from
underground concerts. In Minsk people were pressed to give
testimonies against Mikalaj Dziadok.</p>
<p>Incident near the Russia embassy (Molotoff was thrown there at
the late August by group of unknowns calling themselves to be
anarchistic group “Friends of Freedom”), which was a formal reason
for hunt on activists, is now “forgotten” by police (no one was
accused), but arrests and interrogations are still continuing.</p>
<p><br>
</p>
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