Activist of Brest detained for picket against death penalty

• 31.03.2014, 14:40

Activist of the For Freedom movement Zmitser Rabtsevich was detained in Brest on March 28.

Rabtsevich appeared in Karl Marx Street with the poster reading “No quick executions” and “Life or death” at 17:30. Police officers came to him 10 minutes later. The activist was taken to Brest's Leninski district police department at 18:00. His cell phone remains unavailable.

“It was a protest action against quick executions of death sentences. Zmitser has to hold an unsanctioned action, because people don't have legal opportunities to organise pickets in the city centre. The authorities forbid such pickets,” human rights defender Raman Kislyak told BelaPAN.

He noted a request asking to give a five-year suspension of execution of death sentences was sent to the Council of Ministers on March 28. Zmitser Rabtsevich is one of six authors of the request.