Aliaksandr Kabanau, Dzmitry Bekaliuk, Aliaksandr Abliak Detained In Brest

The authorities lost their nerve during a mass protest.

On April 14, in the center of Brest, during a mass rally against a battery factory, police detained blogger Aliaksandr Kabanau, activists Dzmitry Bekaliuk and Aliaksandr Abliak, Radio Svaboda reports.

They were detained in the Lenin Square, where today opponents of the construction of a battery plant gathered again. Such meetings are held here every Sunday starting from February 25, 2018.

Kabanau and Bekaliuk are accused of violating Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (violation of the procedure of organizing or holding mass events).

During the detention of Bekaliuk, the people in the square chanted “Shame!”

Also, human rights activist Raman Kisliak reported on the arrest of activist Tatsiana Fesikova, who was summoned today to the Leninski district police department.

Activist Aliaksandr Abliak, at the time of the action, announced in a megaphone that this was a peaceful meeting and people were forced to come out by the authorities, who did not hear their opinion against the battery plant.

After the meeting in the square, the opponents of the construction of the plant moved along the central Pushkin and Savetskaya streets to the Central Department Store in Masherau Avenue. On the way, they chanted “Say No to the plant!”.

On April 12, about ten opponents of the battery plant construction were placed in a temporary detention center. 12 activists were summoned to the Leninski district police department of the regional center as witnesses. They were detained and placed to the temporary detention facility ill the trial: Dzmitry Androsiuk, Uladzimir Kazlouski, Dzianis Malashanka, Siarhei Svirski, Uladzislau Abramovich, Aleh Yarmolenko, Dziamyan Lepiasevich, Katsiaryna Basarhina, Aleh Vialau and human rights activist Uladzimir Vialichkin.