Violent mass detentions of protesters took place in Belarus
Reports about it .
«Detentions in support of ex-banker Viktor Babarik and the first director of the Belarusian High Technology Park Valery Tsepkal, who were not registered as candidates for the presidential election, were detained in various cities of Belarus,» the statement said.
As noted, the list of detainees in Minsk, compiled by the human rights center «Spring», included 173 names. Journalists who broadcast information from the scene on social networks published a list of 129 names. In addition, several dozen other people were detained in other cities of the country.
Detentions were carried out in different districts of Minsk — not only in the center, but also on the outskirts. Human rights activists and eyewitnesses reported that riot police and plainclothes police often used brute force, beating people with batons, legs, and fists. According to eyewitnesses, «grabbed just near the playground» and allegedly «pulled straight from the bikes.»
The detainees included several members of the media, including journalists from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RVE / RS), Euroradio, and the BBC operator. According to «Vesna», at 23.00 local time on July 14, they were released. In addition, a reporter for the Belarusian weekly newspaper Novy Chas and a journalist for the Polish satellite TV channel Belsat were detained. «Radio Svoboda employees had accreditation certificates issued by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry,» DW reports.
In addition, police reportedly were forced to block a number of streets in Minsk after motorists began braking and signaling. After 10 pm, some metro stations in the Belarusian capital were also closed, and lighting was turned off in some sections of Independence Avenue.
Detentions were also carried out in other cities of Belarus, including Gomel, Brest, Soligorsk, Bobruisk, and Grodno.
