Pavel Batuyeu, a reputed activist from the town of Salihorsk, has left Belarus. He has been successfully evacuated from the country with the help of the Belarusian Solidarity Foundation (BYSOL).
“The evacuation service of the BYSOL Foundation did its utmost to ensure Pavel’s security so that he would be out of reach for the Minsk regime’s security forces,” BYSOL co-founder Andrey Stryzhak said.
Pavel Batuyeu was detained by officers of the notorious GUBOPiK/GUBAZiK (Main Department for Combating Organised Crime and Corruption) on November 23 when he was picking up his daughter from the kindergarten. Pavel was taken to his father’s flat where a search was conducted; the apartment he resided in was also raided. At first, Pavel was sentenced to 15 days in jail, allegedly for resisting the police. After that, he was re-arrested for another 15 days under the same article.
On December 7, Pavel’s place was searched again as part of a criminal case initiated against him. However, the activist was released on December 26. According to human rights activists, Pavel Batuyeu might have been charged under Art. 369 of the Criminal Code (‘insulting a representative of the authority’).
