'Political T-shirt' trial to take place in Minsk (photo)

Leanid Smouzh was detained by 5-6 people in plain clothes after the sanctioned action held by the Conservative Christian Party of the Belarusian Popular Front in Minsk yesterday. He was wearing a T-shirt which said 'For Belarus Without Dictatorship' on the back and 'For Belarus Without Lukashenka' on the front. The plain-clothed agents followed Leanid Smouzh and caught him at the public bus stop when he was about to catch a trolley-bus.

Mourning rally, demonstration held in Minsk on Sunday (photo)

The previous similar incident happened on November 3 during 'Dzyady' manifestation held by the CCP-BPF upon permission of Minsk authorities. Minsk police detained Homel resident Yury Rubtsou then for wearing the 'impostor tsar' T-shirt. The man got 3 days in jail.

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Before detention, Leanid Smouzh told Radio Liberty that he was an independent activist belonging to no particular political forces. He said he wore the T-shirt in order to protest against injustice - he couldn't find a job for several years. Leanid Smouzh added that his ancestors suffered from the Soviet authorities. It is known that the man lives in Staubtsy district, Minsk region.

Photo - svaboda.org