Liabedzka is set free, after being punched in the kidneys and intimidated by driving to Kurapaty
photo from era.by
Political trial will take place on January 14.
Prominent opposition politician Anatol Liabedzka was arrested by police in Minsk on Sunday morning, January 12, and released some six hours later after being charged with violating regulations governing “mass events.”
The leader of the United Civic Party was grabbed by police officers at about 11 a.m., as soon as he walked out of his apartment building, BelaPAN said.
As the politician described, he was grabbed in a “police operation” involving at least seven officers. “I saw a man on the street and shouted my name for him to report my arrest to my family,” he said. “When I started to shout, the policemen began to punch me in the kidneys. They bundled me into a vehicle, uttering threats, and took me to the Savetski district police department and then to a police station where I was fingerprinted and charged with an unsanctioned demonstration in connection with our January 5 signature-collection attempt.”
“I expected I would be released at about 2 p.m., but they detained me for three more hours and then they put me into a car and took me for a drive around the city,” Mr. Liabedzka said. “They drove me past Kurapaty [Stalin-era massacre site] and a crematorium but eventually brought me to my home in the Viasnianka neighbourhood.”
According to Mr. Liabedzka, he is scheduled to appear for trial in the Savetski District Court in Minsk at 10 a.m. on January 14.
On January 5, Mr. Liabedzka and Viktar Karniaenka, co-chairman of the Campaign for Fair Elections, spent about an hour in Jakub Kolas Square and adjacent streets in Minsk, collecting signatures for a petition demanding the resignation of the government and the abolition of the new tax on motor vehicle owners. At least 10 plainclothesmen followed Messrs. Liabedzka and Karniaenka throughout the event, with some of them filming every move by the politicians. Several traffic police cars and police buses were seen parked near the square.
Both politicians had been followed by police vehicles on their entire way from their homes to the square.
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