Hearings of those arrested during Tuesday’s protest against gas price increases continue in Minśk. The court heard five persons, none of whom participated in the protest as a driver. The arrested pedestrians only showed their support of the protesting drivers while standing on the sidewalks, and were arrested following orders from Mińsk Chief of Civilian Police, Ihar Jausiejew, who personally indicated those who should be detained.
„My son was walking down the street and sending greetings to the drivers when Colonel Jausiejew pointed his finger at him and said „take him““ – told Biełsat the father of arrested Paweł Hruzdiłowicz.
Aleksander Redzkina was arrested for standing on the street. „We were on the bridge and next to us the civilian police stopped a girl- then their commander also pointed to my husband and said, „arrest him as well““, said the wife of the arrested, Jauhenia Redzkina. Redzkina also told of how for several hours she searched for her husband until she accidentally noticed him at one of the civilian police stations.
On Wednesday the civilian police arrested a total of five persons who were charged with taking part in an illegal demonstration. To this day the court tried two of the arrested- Leonid Jasenowicz and Dzmitrij Kowałgin- punishing them with a small fine. Biełapan also informs that there has still been no contact with the organizers of the action „For cars“, who were responsible for yesterday’s protest in Mińsk.
The several hundred person demonstration against gas price increases took place on Tuesday, during the evening hours on the main street of Mińsk- the Avenue of Independence. The participants who organized themselves through the internet blocked the city’s main artery, staging car emergencies or driving in circles. Gas prices in Belarus have increased twofold over the past two weeks, last Tuesday’s increases amounted to 30%.
Biełsat
