Youth activist faces trial; charges unknown

Minsk's Central District Police Department has confirmed to Charter'97 that Mikita Sasim, detained yesterday, is being kept in police custody. A police spokesman says that Sasim is to face trial on August 17. However, he could not elaborate what charges the young activist was facing. Mikita Sasim was detained in the evening of August 16 after the end of the Solidarity Day action near the Moscow cinema theater when plainclothes men forced him into a car.

It took police 12 hours to confirm the detention of this young man. Police operatives also beat several other youth activists during the arrest.