Belarus
Journalists Arrested in Belarus due to ProtestPosted Oct 20 2007
On October 9, police arrested Ivan Roman, of Radio Racyja and editor of the Polski na Uchodzstwie magazine, and sentenced him to five days in jail for using “filthy language.” Before his trial (which was closed to journalists), Roman told Reporters Without Borders that his arrest was “directly linked to the European march planned for October 14 in Minsk.”
Roman went on a hunger strike to protest the action. Police arrested another reporter, Ihar Bantsar, and at least 18 other activists, under the same pretense. This type of preventative measure is similar to five other arrests earlier in the year.
At least 5,000 people attended the peaceful demonstration against President Alexander Lukashenko, in which opposition leader, Alexander Milinkevich, called for Belarus to act like other countries in Europe that allow free elections and free citizenry.