Clean-up ahead of Freedom Day: Lyabedzka summoned to court in Valozhyn on March 25

Anatol Lyabedzka, the leader of the United Civic Party, has been summoned to the Valozhyn district court. He must turn up on March 25, the traditional Belarus independence celebrations day also known as the Freedom Day. Lybedzka told Euroradio that in the evening of March 17 he received a phone call from Minsk's Central District Court.

Lyabedzka: A court clerk told my family that on March 25 there will be a court hearing of the so called "Polish case" in Valozhyn.

Anatol Lyabedzka who came to support the unregistered Union of Poles in Belarus was arrested and held in detention for 9 hours. Judge Zyanko forwarded the case to a prosecutor's office in order to file criminal charges. But the Minsk Region Prosecutor's Office refused to open a criminal case after having studied the documents. However, Lyabedzka says that two or three articles in the Administrative Code could be used against him.

Yet, he believes that the political factor is behind this move. He says the authorities have begun 'cleaning up' Minsk from 'undesired elements' ahead of the Freedom Day on March 25.

Popular photo correspondent with Nasha Niva newspaper Yulia Darashkevich who covers opposition street actions is to appear in court on March 24 on charges of allegedly hitting a police officer when on duty.