\u201cAccording to Belarusian journalist Katsyaryna Andreyeva, following the events of July 14, a criminal proceeding was started under Article 342 (referring to \u2018organizing, preparing or participating\u2019 in \u2018actions that blatantly violate public order\u2019), a big investigation group was established and 450 suspects are to be questioned,\u201d said Vyacheslav Sivchyk, leader of \u201cRazam\u201d solidarity movement. \u201cFour persons have already been charged with resisting police and using force against police. It is absolutely unjust that the 25 persons who tried to protect the Belarusians during the rallies are in custody. The pressure on them in Belarusian jails is too high. Torture is a wide-spread practice in administrative jails and during pre-trial detention,\u201d Sivchyk proceeded. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Over 200 independent journalists signed off a letter appealing to the head of the Interior Ministry of Belarus and other officials, reacting to journalists\u2019 arrests and the attack on Radio Liberty journalist Anton Trofimovych. Pressure on Gomel-based journalists Alena Germanovich and Pavel Mitskevich is exercised through the arrest of their 18-year-old son, charged with petty hooliganism and facing prospects of a several-year sentence, if his parents \u201ccontinue writing\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oleksandr Irvanets, head of the Belarus Information Center called on everyone to join the solidarity action \u201cI Love Belarus\u201d: \u201cYou can record a short video saying that you love Belarus and explain why. We\u2019ll proceed with more actions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuriy Syrotiuk, director of the center \u201cUkrainian Strategic Research Studies\u201d (Ukrainski studii stratehichnyh doslidzhen) said that next week the Belarus Information Center will discuss implementation of the Russian scenario tailored for Belarusian election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cElection is a handy way to occupy Belarus. Russia is waging a hybrid war against Belarus, not by military means, like against Ukraine. We will be also covering the election night in Belarus and next day\u2019s developments,\u201d Syrotiuk added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Olga Sieviaryniec, the wife of the arrested opposition leader Paval Sieviaryniec, revealed details of her husband\u2019s detention:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPaval has been in custody for 45 days. It all started on June 7, when he was arrested for 15 days at the rally in support of the candidates for president, the arrest was then extended for 15 more days. Paval\u2019s participation in the rally was pre-agreed with the candidates and his arrest is illegal.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n At one of\nthe court hearings, Olga learnt that Paval cut his veins to protest the cruel\nconditions in detention. \u201cHe was held in a prison cell for 20 days, he was\nprovided with neither a mattress, nor a cushion, the prison bed was made\navailable from 10pm to 6am, there was no water. He was given a bottle of water\nfor the whole day for all needs, at night it was cold. There were no books, no\nTV. He was in the news vacuum,\u201d said Olga Sieviaryniec. She added that arrested\nmay get sick inmates so that they get sick too. Sometimes chlorine can be\npoured into the cell or the prison authorities can instigate inmates\u2019\naggression towards the arrested. \u201cPolitical prisoners are held in inhumane\nconditions that are equal to torture. According to United Nations conventions\non human rights his right to freedom was violated and he is tortured. Today\nwe\u2019ve learnt that he will be set free, it comes as a shock and joy for us,\u201d Sieviaryniec\nsaid. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Vyacheslav-Sivchyk-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Oleksandr-Irvanets.-1024x683.jpg\")