Zmitser Dashkevich, a former political prisoner and Young Front leader, has been released today after spending three days in Minsk predetention centre.
His driver’s licence has been revoked for two years.
Dashkevich was grabbed by the Minsk police on March 10 when he was leaving the office of the Belarusian People’s Front Council. On the same day, he was sentenced to three days in custody.
In late February, the Belarusian activists, including Zmitser Dashkevich and Syarhei Palcheuski, began a long-term action in defense of the memorial protesting against the construction of an office building started a few dozen meters from Kurapaty, a Stalin-era mass grave site near Minsk. According to them, it is fraudulent as the building permission was granted when the area was considered a protected zone.
The plot on which ‘Belrekonstruktsiya’ company undertook the construction of a four-storey business center was sold by the city authorities at the auction in 2013. In 2014 the protected zone was significantly cut. According to historian Ihar Kuznyatsou, it is highly likely that remains of the victims will be found here. KGB archives which could cast light on the burial plans are classified until now. After several-day protesting in Kurapaty, the developer decided to take away its building fleet. Last Thursday, the company ordered to minimize any works and take the machines away. However, Minsk City Committee has not given up the idea to stop the construction of a business center there.
