According to the human rights center Viasna, the 17-year-old Minsker Maksim Babich was charged under part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (Organization of group actions that grossly violate public order). He is now in custody.
Maksim was detained on October 19 at about 7.30 am on his way to study (the guy is a second-year student at the Minsk State Automotive College). The reason for his arrest was blocking of the road on October 13 in Serabranka district in Minsk, at the intersection of Rakasouski Avenue and Plyakhanava Street. Then the teenager was taken to the Leninsky district police department of Minsk. The interrogation took place only at 4 pm (it is not known what happened to the teenager between 7.30 am and 4 pm). He was later put under arrest as a preventive measure.
Relatives of Maksim filed a petition for another preventive measure, but it was rejected. According to the telegram channel “Lists of detainees Zhodzina + Akrestsina + Baranavichy”, Maksim Babich as of 10.30 am on October 22 was in the detention center in Akrestsina street.
Maksim Babich has health problems — he has a heart defect.
Since August 9, Belarus has opened more than 400 criminal cases against the protest participants. Of these, 40 cases were sent to courts.
