Campaigners against war in Chechnya arrested in Minsk

Minsk Belapan in English 1712 GMT 8 Sep 03

Minsk, 8 September: Nearly 10 youths led by Syarhey Vysotski, leader of the unregistered nationalist Belarusian Party of Freedom, attempted to stage a demonstration in front of the Russian embassy on 8 September, protesting against the war in Chechnya.

The police were quick to intervene when the group unfolded signs saying, "Our enemy is Russian imperial bureaucracy!" and "[Chechen rebel leader Aslan] Maskhadov is the only legitimate president of the Chechen Republic!". Mr Vysotski and two other party activists, Yuryy Danilaw and Vasil Parfyankow, were taken to a police station.

The demonstration was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the 1514 Orsha Battle in which the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeated Moscow troops, and the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the second war in Chechnya.

"We want to display our solidarity with the Chechens in their fight for freedom and independence," Mr Parfyankow told reporters.

Syarhey Hirel, a departmental chief with the Minsk city police, explained that the demonstration was stopped as illegal. "The organizer of the picketing, Vysotski, was well aware that he had been allowed to demonstrate in the Peoples' Friendship Park only, but he arrived here on purpose, although he had been warned against this," Lt-Col Hirel said.

Located miles from the Russian embassy, the Peoples' Friendship Park is a lonely area on the outskirts where the Minsk authorities usually send opposition groups to stage demonstrations.

Mr Vysotski declared that he was going on a hunger strike in protest against his arrest.