HR defenders and journalists standing trial in Minsk
Shchukin's guests are under trial for bad swearing.
Trials against the civil activists Pavel Levinau, Volha Karach, Aleh Barshcheuski and Pavel Staneuski have started in the Frunze district court of Minsk. They were detained yesterday and accused of petty hooliganism (bad swearing). They spent the night in the center for isolation of law-breakers in Akrestsina street.
At first the policemen explained to Pavel Levinau that he was arrested upon "sudden" suspicion in committing the terrorist act in Minsk metro on April 11. However, later the representatives of the Frunze district police department changed the wordings and made a charge on administrative offence.
It became known that the police broke into the apartment of the human rights defender and journalist Valer Shchukin's daughter yesterday. They checked the documents of everyone and left, but came back later with searches and arrests. They arrested 18 people, 14 of them were released without charges, the human rights center "Viasna" informs.
