An activist of “European Belarus” is arrested

A member of the REP (a union of workers in the radio-electronic industry) and an activist of the civil campaign "European Belarus", Oleg Rogowskii, was arrested today at 16.30 at the entrance of the Minsk watch factory, "Luch".

On 1 May, a rally – sanctioned by the city authorities – will take place on the square of the Park of the Friendship of Nations, timed to coincide with Workers’ Day. In order to inform employees of the largest companies, members of the REP union came to the entrance with leaflets devoted to this event.

Union members Oleg Rogowskii and Aleksandr Volontsevich distributed materials at the Minsk watch factory. Aleksandr was standing near the bus stop, and Oleg was directly at the factory, between the entrance to the office of MTS (a mobile phone company) and a checkpoint. A security guard came out from the door of the office of the phone company and invited Oleg to go inside. After that, without explanation he called up the police, although Oleg and showed him an identification card of REP.

Note that the leaflets did not contain any material offensive to the state authorities. There was a call for a meeting and social demands.

Now Oleg Rogowskii has been taken for questioning to the Pervomaiskii district police department of Minsk. He managed to communicate this fact by mobile telephone. Oleg reported that at the moment a protocol (official warning) is being prepared in the district police department. He is in an office with a major of the police.