Belarus Security Crackdown
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The Belarussian government placed a security crackdown after a subway bombing that killed at least 12 people.
Recently, many people have been protesting against their countrie's political oppression or something. The KGB's been arresting a lot of the protestors for even something as small as clapping. I don't know what's really going on or anything, just saw this in the news this morning and wanted to ask you guys what you think about it and if theres anything I'm missing on this topic since I'm not really bothered looking it up.
Recently, many people have been protesting against their countrie's political oppression or something. The KGB's been arresting a lot of the protestors for even something as small as clapping. I don't know what's really going on or anything, just saw this in the news this morning and wanted to ask you guys what you think about it and if theres anything I'm missing on this topic since I'm not really bothered looking it up.
Belarus ordered a security crackdown after at least 12 people died in a subway bombing that the authorities classified as the first terrorist attack since President Aleksandr Lukashenko came to power in 1994.
An explosive device went off during the evening rush hour, wounding 192 people at the capital Minsk’s busiest metro station, which is near the presidential residence, the Interior Ministry and the Belarusian security agency said today in separate statements on their websites. The agency still uses its Soviet-era name, KGB.
Lukashenko ordered security tightened “to the uttermost” and said the blast may have been orchestrated from abroad, according to a transcript of an emergency government meeting published on the president’s website late yesterday.
“Leave no stone unturned,” Lukashenko told security officials at the meeting, according to the transcript. “They won’t leave us in peace. I warned you about that. Who are they? You need to hurry up and answer that question.”
The attack sought to destabilize the situation in the country and may be indirectly linked with recent presidential elections, the state-run news agency Belta reported today, citing KGB Chairman Vadim Zaitsev.
An explosive device went off during the evening rush hour, wounding 192 people at the capital Minsk’s busiest metro station, which is near the presidential residence, the Interior Ministry and the Belarusian security agency said today in separate statements on their websites. The agency still uses its Soviet-era name, KGB.
Lukashenko ordered security tightened “to the uttermost” and said the blast may have been orchestrated from abroad, according to a transcript of an emergency government meeting published on the president’s website late yesterday.
“Leave no stone unturned,” Lukashenko told security officials at the meeting, according to the transcript. “They won’t leave us in peace. I warned you about that. Who are they? You need to hurry up and answer that question.”
The attack sought to destabilize the situation in the country and may be indirectly linked with recent presidential elections, the state-run news agency Belta reported today, citing KGB Chairman Vadim Zaitsev.
Belarus has jailed several protesters who were among hundreds arrested in a nationwide crackdown during protests on Sunday against President Alexander Lukashenko's government.
By late Monday, 20 people had been handed jail sentences of up to 15 days in prison while dozens of others awaited their turn in packed courtrooms. Several hearings were put off to Tuesday.
"The authorities must immediately free all those detained and ensure freedom of assembly for citizens and stop the shameful practice of beating and detaining the participants in rallies," Vyasna, a Belarusian human rights centre, said.
The rights group said 210 people were arrested in the capital Minsk where hundreds took part in the protests, while another 180 were seized in other parts of the country, including the regional centres of Grodno, Gomel and Mogilev.
Responding to calls for a rally by an Internet-based group "Revolution through the Social Network", the protesters defied warnings and state jamming of websites to turn out in reasonable numbers.
They sought to show their dissatisfaction with Lukashenko by clapping their hands. But police arrested anyone who joined in the applause, beating activists and firing tear gas, an AFP correspondent in Minsk said.
Most of the arrests were carried out by police in plain clothes who mingled with protesters.
The agents roughly bundled the protesters into brown prison vans in which they were driven to a nearby detention centre, Vyasna said.
Vyasna said in a statement on its website that the arrested included 17 journalists, although it said that most of the reporters were freed overnight.
The police have yet to give an official figure of the number arrested or how many people were freed overnight.
By late Monday, 20 people had been handed jail sentences of up to 15 days in prison while dozens of others awaited their turn in packed courtrooms. Several hearings were put off to Tuesday.
"The authorities must immediately free all those detained and ensure freedom of assembly for citizens and stop the shameful practice of beating and detaining the participants in rallies," Vyasna, a Belarusian human rights centre, said.
The rights group said 210 people were arrested in the capital Minsk where hundreds took part in the protests, while another 180 were seized in other parts of the country, including the regional centres of Grodno, Gomel and Mogilev.
Responding to calls for a rally by an Internet-based group "Revolution through the Social Network", the protesters defied warnings and state jamming of websites to turn out in reasonable numbers.
They sought to show their dissatisfaction with Lukashenko by clapping their hands. But police arrested anyone who joined in the applause, beating activists and firing tear gas, an AFP correspondent in Minsk said.
Most of the arrests were carried out by police in plain clothes who mingled with protesters.
The agents roughly bundled the protesters into brown prison vans in which they were driven to a nearby detention centre, Vyasna said.
Vyasna said in a statement on its website that the arrested included 17 journalists, although it said that most of the reporters were freed overnight.
The police have yet to give an official figure of the number arrested or how many people were freed overnight.
