English

Eight activists detained briefly over opposition demonstration in Minsk

Eight opposition activists were apprehended by police during an unauthorized demonstration in Minsk on August 16, but all of them were released without charges hours later, Alyaksandr Atroshchankaw, spokesman for the European Belarus group, told BelaPAN.

Some 200 people took part in the demonstration near the National Academy of Sciences to demand an international investigation into the disappearances of four opponents of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Anton Koypish and Uladzimir Lemesh were arrested as they were approaching the venue, while the event's organizers, Yawhen Afnahel and Pavel Yukhnevich, were grabbed by police after the crowd started dispersing. The other arrested activists included Viktar Khanenya, Maksim Serhiyets, Valery Nyapomnyashchykh and Andrey Molchan.

All of the men were brought to the Pershamayski district police department where they were told to write "explanations." They were released after three hours' detention and not charged, Mr. Atroshchankaw said.