Opposition member is asked to stay at home during “Slavonic Bazaar”

Policemen delivered a Vitsebsk distributor of independent editions Barys Hamaida to Chyhunachny District Department of the Interior at about 11 a.m. today. He was selling newspapers in the usual place, near the Summer Amphitheatre. Barys Hamada spent about two hours in the police office and was let off only after “a prevention talk”. Policemen advised Mr. Hamaida to stop distributing newspapers and magazines during the “Slavonic Bazaar” festival in Vitsebsk.

Let me note that the head of Vitsebsk District Department of the Interior Leanid Farmahei assured journalists that policemen would not make anyone leave the city during the festival, even the homeless. He said they would not limit their freedom. At the same time, they are limiting the freedom of distributors of the press.

Barys Hamaida was insulted by the advice of the police and informed that he would work twice as much during the festival.

Yadvіha Stasheuskaya, European Radio for Belarus, Vitsebsk