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Minsk Allows Belarus Opposition To Hold Chornobyl March


City authorities say they will allow Belarusian opposition groups to hold a "Chornobyl Path" march on April 26.

The leader of the opposition Belarusian Popular Front party, Alyaksey Yanukevich, told RFE/RL on April 18 that the authorities have changed the route of the planned march, however, and said it must also be held several hours later than originally planned.

The annual march has been held in the Belarusian capital since 1988 to commemorate the victims of the April 26, 1986, Chornobyl nuclear disaster in neighboring Ukraine, which contaminated large parts of Belarusian territory.

The "Chornobyl Path" march has been marred by clashes between activists and police in previous years.

Last year, police detained several activists during the march. They were later found guilty of hooliganism and disobeying police orders and sentenced to jail terms of between five and 10 days.
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