Updated at 13:52,22-04-2024

Opposition activist in Brest detained briefly over leaflet distribution

BelaPAN

An opposition activist was arrested minutes after he started handing out leaflets about the disappearances of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s opponents in downtown Brest on Sunday.

Ivan Stasyuk, a member of an opposition youth group called Malady Front, was grabbed by police at around 3 p.m. Two more activists who were distributing the leaflets were not arrested.

Mr. Stasyuk was taken to Brest’s Leninski district police department, where he had 19 leaflet copies seized from him, human rights defender Raman Kislyak told BelaPAN.

The activist was released without charges after a detention of less than two hours.

Mr. Kislyak stressed that the activists had the right to pass out the leaflets. "At the same time, one has to admit that police officers regularly arrest activists during such events in Brest and therefore obstruct them," he said.

The activists managed to distribute more than 200 leaflets during the event.