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Police, village soviet checking on Zhyznewski’s nephew ahead of Freedom Day demonstration in Minsk

A nephew of a Mikhail Zhyznewski, a Belarusian young man killed in Kyiv in late January, has been visited by police and contacted by the village soviet over his plans to participate in a "Dzen Voli" (Freedom Day) demonstration in Minsk on March 25.

On Monday morning, 19-year-old Pavel Zhyznewski, a resident of Homyel, was visited by police officers, Andrey Tsyanyuta, co-chairman of an opposition youth organization called Malady Front, told BelaPAN on Tuesday. Later in the day, the young man left for the village of Rohin in the Buda Kashalyova district, where his mother lives. "Pavel plans to participate in the Dzen Voli demonstration in Minsk, which will mark 96 years since the proclamation of the 1918 Belarusian National Republic (BNR) and be a display of support for the people of Ukraine," Mr. Tsyanyuta said. "Today he got a phone call from the local soviet. The caller asked on why he wanted to go to Minsk. Authorities try to prevent Pavel from attending the Dzen Voli demonstration, and yet his presence there is important."

Pavel was not available on the phone.

Mikhail “Loki” Zhyznewski, who would have had his 26th birthday on January 26, left Belarus in 2005 and lived in the city of Bila Tserkva near Kyiv. One of the most active participants of anti-government protests that began in late November 2013, he was killed on the morning of January 22 on Hrushevskoho Street in central Kyiv. Associates insist that he was shot dead by a riot police officer. At least five more protesters are known to have died on January 22.

Ukrainian authorities have claimed that neither police nor state security forces could be involved in Mr. Zhyznewski`s death.

The man was laid to rest near Homyel on January 28. Ukrainian authorities have promised to grant him the title of Hero of Ukraine. //BelaPAN