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Veteran Belarus Activists Under Pressure After Release From Custody


Two veteran opposition activists in Belarus are facing fresh charges of damaging property after being released from custody on March 27.

Barys Khamayda and Alyaksandr Salauyan were initially arrested on March 24 and sentenced to three days in jail for resisting police in Belarus' eastern city of Vitsebsk.

Both were released late Thursday.

Khamayda told RFE/RL that police continued to interrogate the activists and searched their homes while they were in custody.

According to Khamayda, the homes were searched in their presence.

Police took away banned Belarusian red-and-white national flags but did not fill out any official documents regarding the searches.

Police later told Khamayda that investigations had been launched into the activists' possible involvement in damaging the property of a local energy company.

No further information is available.
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