Trials of the almost 300 people detained during the protests of silent solidarity on Belarus' Independent Day began in the courts throughout the country on Monday.
Two hundred people were arrested in the capital Minsk during Sunday's protests while another 80 were arrested in other parts of the country. According to Viasna Human Rights Centre, among the more than 200 protesters arrested in Minsk were 17 journalists. Some of the journalists have been released, but more 150 people remain in detention.
Trials are ongoing, and the detainees are being charged with minor hooliganism or participation in an unsanctioned meeting, offenses which involve short administrative sentences of 10-15 days.
State police and undercover officers grabbed demonstrators at rallies in Minsk and other Belarusian cities, where citizens held "silent" demonstrations against country's economic troubles on Sunday, when Belarus celebrated its Independent Day. They wanted to show their dissatisfaction with Axlander Lukashenko, the current president, by clapping their hands.
In Minsk police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators taking part in a silent protest by the capital's railway station. Some of the arrests came as people started clapping, which has been deemed as a sign of silent protest by Belarusian authorities.
The move to ban clapping comes as demonstrators have been using web-based social networks to organize silent protests every Wednesday since the beginning of June. While no banners have been held up to protest against authorities, which would likely end in arrest, demonstrators have taken to clapping as a sign of objection to Lukashenko.
"Our private life is under severe pressure. We are banned to express our attitude to what is going on in our country. Undercover officers may do whatever they want, they just grab ordinary people and drive them away on the cars without indentifying signs," Andrey, a 25-year-old demonstrator, told Xinhua correspondent.
John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia says: "Belarus continues to ride roughshod over human rights, but these latest mass arrests and use of teargas against peaceful protesters show that attacks on freedom of expression appear to be intensifying".
"These blocks on communication are an attempt to cut off demonstrators from each other and clearly violates the right to freedom of expression," said John Dalhuisen.
Earlier Lukashenko had warned that he would not tolerate any form of protest. "Stomping, clapping, bellowing and roaring on squares and streets cannot solve problems. The state has the resources and power to pacify those who violate the law and the constitution," he said, stressing that protesters only wanted to instill chaos in the country.
At the end of May Belarus' National Bank cut almost in half the value of the Belarusian ruble against the dollar, causing panic across the country. Prices are rising very rapidly, dwindling incomes and savings of ordinary Belarusians. Throughout the country people has started to launch regular public protests against the authority.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-07-05 05:52:03 FeedbackPrintRSS
MINSK, July 4 (Xinhua)
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