English

KGB continues raids on homes of opposition activists

KGB officers on January 28 searched the apartment that is rented in Minsk by Mikalay Dzemidzenka, an opposition activist who was an authorized representative of candidate Vital Rymashewski in the recent presidential race.

According to Mr. Dzemidzenka, deputy chairman of an opposition youth group called Malady Front, the search, which was conducted by three KGB officers, resulted in the seizure of a sign saying “Hunger Strike” and some old flyers and documents.

Mr. Dzemidzenka linked the search to the fact that he had once shared the apartment with Uladzimir Yaromenak, a Malady Front member who was arrested on Thursday as a suspect in a so-called riot case that was opened following the December 19 post-election protest in Minsk.

That was the second search of the apartment. It was searched for the first time when Mr. Dzemidzenka was serving a 15-day jail sentence for participation in the protest.

In Mazyr, Homyel region, KGB officers searched the home of Leanid Arlow, a member of the opposition United Civic Party.

As Mr. Arlow told BelaPAN, the search warrant was signed by the deputy chief of the Homyel regional KGB office. The officers also searched Mr. Arlow’s summer house.

“They seized some printed campaign materials,” Mr. Arlow said. “There was nothing more to take away because computers, fax machines, printers and telephones were seized in May.”

Mr. Arlow, an economics professor at Mazyr State Teachers’ Training University, gathered ballot-access signatures for his party’s presidential nominee Yaraslaw Ramanchuk. Last spring he participated in the “Tell the Truth!” campaign, which was led by another presidential contender, Uladzimir Nyaklyayew.