BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

10/12/2006

Police Detain Opposition Activists in Belarus Protest on Human Rights Day

MosNews

Authorities in Minsk detained several opposition activists who staged a protest action unsanctioned by the government to mark Human Rights Day, the Interfax news agency reported.

A total of 22 people were detained on Oktyabrskaya Square, where the protest action was held, an Interfax correspondent reported. Alexander Lebedko, chairman of the Bealrussian United Civil Party, is among the detainees.

All detainees were taken to a local police department for questioning.

It was reported earlier that some 40 activists of opposition parties created a human chain on Oktyabrskaya Square in downtown Minsk in the afternoon of December 10.

They held portraits of former presidential candidate Alexander Kozulin and other jailed opposition activists.

Governments and rights activists around the globe marked Human Rights Day on Sunday, Dec. 10, commemorating the day in 1948 when the UN General Assembly adopted the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

Source:

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/12/10/belarusarrests.shtml