Police began to detain the most active members of youth movement on the morning of June 30.
Zmena activist Vitaly Vasilkou was detained at his home in Minsk and guarded to the Frunzenski district police department, Viasna human rights centre reports.
Police also visited Alyakssandr Artsybashau's wife and Ales Krot's sister. Policemen are reported to look for Ales Krot.
An activist of National Bolsheviks, Dzmitry Sinyak, wrote on Facebook policemen visited him at home at 9 am and wanted to took him to a police station allegedly for a fight. He also said police hunted other members of National Bolsheviks in Minsk.
Preventive arrests of opposition and social society activists is one of most common strategies of Belarusian law enforcement agencies.
Thus, many socially active people were arrested before the first official visit of Vladimir Putin which was paid to Belarus on May 31–June 1.
Belarus is going to celebrate the Day of Independence on July, 3. The parade which is usually reviewed by the President is going to take place in the centre of Minsk. Aliaksandr Lukashenka is planned to deliver his annual congratulatory address.
The authorities might be afraid of protest actions before or on the bank holiday. Thus, last year, when so-called ‘silent revolutions’ were held in the country, the organizers called people to attend the Independence Day Parade and applause during Mr. Lukashenka’s speech.
The unprecedented security measures were taken on that day. Furthermore, police let the people awfully slowly through metal detectors frame and only few thousand were said to be able to stay near the parade sight while Lukashenka’s addressing the nation.
The Interior Ministry of Belarus also warned that it is undesirable to clap during the parade.
