Blogger Zmitser Kazlou (Grey Cat), who is a defendant in the “case of Tsikhanouski”, has been recognized as a political prisoner by Belarusian human rights activists.
Human rights activists demand that the Belarusian authorities immediately release Zmitser Kazlou and stop criminal proceedings against him, human rights center Viasna reports.
The Youtube blogger from Baran Zmitser Kazlou became a defendant in a criminal case under Article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (organization or active participation in group actions, flagrantly violating public order).
Zmitser Kazlou was detained on June 10th , together with the activists of European Belarus Artsyom Charniak and Mikhail Bandarenka. The next day he was punished with 20 days of arrest and, accordingly, was to be released on June 30th. However, he remains behind bars – in a temporary detention center on Akrestsina Street in Minsk.
Thus, 17 people have already been detained under Article 342 of the Criminal Code. These are bloggers Syarhei Tsikhanuvski, Uladzimir Nyaronski, Syarhei Pyatrukhin, Alyaksandr Kabanau, Uladzimir Tsyhanovich, Zmitser Kazlou, Ihar Losik. Among those detained after the incident in Hrodna were Zmitser Furmanau, Vyarhil Ushak, Artsyom Sakau, Alyaksandr Aranovich, Uladzimir Naumik, Vasil Babrouski, Yauhen Reznichenka, Uladzimir Kniha, Andrei Novikau and politician Mikalai Statkevich. Fifteen of them have already been recognized as political prisoners.
