Homyel, 26 September. Opposition activists Kanstantsin Zhukowski, Andrey Tsyanyuta and Dzmitry Shawchenka are on hunger strike in the detention center in Homyel, their cellmate who completed his term on Monday told BelaPAN.
A duty officer at the detention center confirmed to BelaPAN that Mr. Zhukowski was on hunger strike but refused to say anything about Messrs. Tsyanyuta and Shawchenka, explaining that he was required to give information about inmates only to their family members.
Mr. Shawchenka announced that he was going on a hunger strike after being sentenced to 15 days in jail on September 19 for allegedly acting in violation of regulations governing street demonstrations. He had been arrested by police two days earlier while he was distributing flyers that advertised a "silent protest" scheduled to take place in Homyel on September 21.
Mr. Tsyanyuta was given a 10-day jail term on September 21. He had been arrested the previous day while he was collecting signatures in support of the Narodny Skhod (People's Assembly) rallies.
Mr. Zhukowski was violently arrested by special task police officers shortly before the September 21 protest and sentenced to 15 days in jail the following day. He is believed to have a broken leg.
