3 activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus”, Alyaksandra Katok, Alyaksandr Kireeu and Marta Pyatrouskaya, were detained in Hrodna on June 28.
The young people were collecting signatures in support of Belarus’ joining the EU in one of the central streets of the city, not far from the city park of Emanuil Zhyliber, where a rock-festival “Boomerang” is held, BelaPAN informs.
Policemen detained activists at about 3.40 p.m. Soon after detention M. Pyatrouskaya was released, and others were taken to the police department of Leninski district of Hrodna. In a few hours they were released without a report being drawn up. The collected signatures were seized by policemen.

Belarusian activists who had been expelled from Belarusian universities on political reasons and who are studying in foreign universities now, are stopped on the border and told that they are prohibited to leave Belarus.
Names of the students are put on the so-called “black lists”. In this way military enlistment offices are trying to send unwanted oppositionists to the army service.

Andrei Kim (22 year youth activist) was found guilty of the crime on articles 342.1 (organization and execution of actions that violate the public order or active participation in such actions) and 364 (violence or a threat of violence towards a militiaman) of the Criminal Code of Belarus and sentenced him to 1.5 years in prison.

The Maskouski district court of Minsk dismissed a complaint of Svyatlana Zavadskaya against unjust acts of Mikhail Titsyankou, deputy head of the Minsk city executive committee, who banned holding a picket on 7 May, at the anniversary of disappearance of former minister of internal affaires of Belarus Yury Zakharanka.

The Ministry of Culture denied a suggestion on granting the national white-red-white flag the status of a historical and cultural object due to “insufficient arguments and documental validity”.
As BelaPAN has learnt from Anton Astapovich, head of the Belarusian Voluntary Association of History and Culture Monuments Protection, on 18 June the office received an extract from minutes of the session of the Belarusian Republican Scientific Methodical Council on Cultural and Historical Heritage at the Ministry of Culture of 21 May signed by deputy head Uladzimir Hrydzyushka.

Today law-enforcing agencies detained an Orthodox priest Leanid Akalovich. They acted under a decision of the police department of Staryja Darohi about a compulsory process.
The priest was taken to the court of Staryja Darohi. Judge Syarhei Epikhau sentenced him to a fine of 30 basic units (more than 1,000,050 Br). The priest was found guilty of participation in an unsanctioned meeting only for consecrating a cross raised in memory of 25 dwellers assassinated by partisans on April 15, 1943.

Justice Ministry of Belarus denied registration to the human rights and educational association “For Freedom” movement.
As Radio Svaboda was told by the deputy chairman of the organisation Yuras Hubarevich, the Justice Ministry had analyzed a number of statements in mass media of the leader of the movement Alyaksandr Milinkevich and some other representatives of the movement. As a result, the ministry has come to a conclusion that the movement’s main activity won’t be a community involvement, but its activities would have a political nature.

Valyantsin Shuklin, judge of the Constitutional Court, in practice confirmed that in Belarus there is a list of persons who cannot leave the country for political reasons.
Commenting on the situation with persons banned to leave the country, the representative of Themis said to the European Radio for Belarus: “even if a person is an accused, in a criminal case, he or she cannot be left in the list of persons restricted to travel abroad for more than a year. A person cannot be a suspect for a year, two or three years. A question should be solved, whether to bring a charge against him, when one is accountable for something, or not”.

The Draft Law on Media allows for registration of Internet resources, moreover, Belarusian Internet will be regulated not by laws, but by regulations of the Council of Ministers. At present, there are practically no independent printed editions in Belarus. Radio and TV are controlled by the authorities. The Internet has been the only source of alternative information. The law passed by vote of 93-1 in the “parliament”.

A book about the political prisoner Syarhei Parsyukevich has been published in Vitsebsk. It has been prepared by the Committee “For Freedom of Syarhei Parsyukevich”

The book has been compiled from materials of independent media that covered the story of the chairman of the Council of entrepreneurs of Smalenski market in Vitsebsk, an activist of “For Freedom” movement. This book will be received by market vendors, but also by representatives of authority bodies, the website milinkevich.org emphasizes.