Vasil Palyakow, head of the Homyel regional organization of the United Civic Party, had to spend about two hours at a police station in Rahachow on Tuesday after he was arrested for distributing copies of a bulletin that called for the restoration of benefits and privileges for vulnerable social groups.
"Ryma Yastremskaya, head of the Rahachow District Executive Committee's ideology department, spotted me and my five associates while driving past us on Lenin Street," Mr. Palyakow told BelaPAN. "She got out of her car and asked what I was doing in the city. She then summoned some people, who formed a ring around me and kept standing until police arrived a few minutes later."
Mr. Palyakow was driven to a police station and told to "give explanations."
Before he was allowed to go, the copies that he had on him were seized for "examination."
The bulletin was published by the regional organization of the United Pro-democratic Forces as part of the coalition’s anti-crisis social security campaign.
