Two Georgian Journalists Detained In Belarus

A police truck carrying protesters outside Akrescina Detention/Isolation Center today in Minsk (RFE/RL) March 24, 2006 -- Georgian state television says Belarusian police detained two of its journalists today in Minsk.

Georgian TV director-general Tamar Kintsurashvili told a news briefing that the two, Nino Gorgobiani and Giorgi Laghidze, were detained outside a Minsk courtroom. The action came as they were waiting for relatives of Belarusian opposition supporters arrested overnight to come out.

Kintsurashvili said the journalists were taken to an Interior Ministry building and are no longer answering phone calls.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry asked Belarus to release the two reporters without delay.

Belarusian police earlier this week detained three Georgians -- including an Orthodox priest and a Baptist minister -- on charges of attending an unsanctioned opposition rally. The three men were released and expelled to neighboring Ukraine after spending more than 24 hours in custody.

(Rustavi-2, Civil Georgia)