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Belarusian KGB Arrests Administrators Of Opposition Online Communities


The Vyasna (Spring) human rights center in Belarus says police and the Committee for State Security (KGB) have detained several administrators of Belarusian opposition online communities.

Raman Pratasevich, Andrey Tkachyou, Syarhey Byaspaly, and Paval Yeutsikhiyeu were reported detained in Minsk, while Aleh Shramuk was arrested in the eastern city of Vitsebsk.

Vyasna and relatives of the young men said their apartments were searched and some of their computers were confiscated.

The administrators were held in custody for several hours, questioned regarding their online activities, and all but one of them released.

Yeutsikhiyeu and Tkachyou were sentenced to five and seven days in jail, respectively, for what was described as "minor hooliganism."
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