Imagine a country where you have to get permission to protest, and when the authorities give it to you, they snatch it right back. Then they arrest you and sentence you to 15 days in prison for an “unsanctioned rally.” The same thing happens to your colleagues; some of them are even beaten! What country is this?

I’ll give you one guess: it starts with “B” and ends with “elarus”.

The democratic opposition in Belarus held its first rally since tens of thousands of people protested in March following a fraudulent presidential election handed to current Dictator Alexander Lukashenko. It was to commemorate the tragedy of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown and to demand the truth from the authorities. Ten thousand people marched. Milinkevich had been warned beforehand that even though the rally was being sanctioned, he would be charged if it wasn’t peaceful.

But it was. So they revoked permission afterward and now Milinkevich, along with other leaders Syarhei Kalyakin, Vintsuk Vyachorka and Alyaksandr Bukhvostau have all been detained. Milinkevich has been sentenced to fifteen days in prison on what is obviously a politically fuelled assault on the democratic opposition by Lukashenko’s regime.

The court of Savetski district of Minsk has sentenced the leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich to 15 days of arrest. The politician has been charged with violation of the Article 167 part 2 ???????? organizing unsanctioned rallies. The peaceful march ???????The Path of Chernobyl??????? held in Minsk on April 26, notably sanctioned by city authorities, has been announced an ???????unsanctioned rally???????. The verdict to Alyaksandr Milinkevich was delivered by judge Yury Harbatouski. The democratic leader called the actions of the authorities ???????political schizophrenia??????? and stated that he was ready for the verdict about his arrest. ???????The developments in Belarus can be called nothing but a political schizophrenia. Today it is obvious that the regime fears us, and it is to bring about the downfall of the dictatorial regime,??????? Alyaksandr Milinkevich said after the sentence had been delivered. The leader of the democratic forces is to serve the sentence in the special remand prison in Akrestsin Street.

This is sure to stir the opposition movement greatly, as all groups have registered their support for Milinkevich and his methods at garnering support with the public. To have him arrested now is to reveeal the utmost hypocrisy within the regime — what Milinkevich called “schizophrenia”. The opposition will want to see him released and will likely try its hardest to get the story out about his arrest so that people sympathize with them. I simply cannot understand how the opposition will not come out stronger following Milinkevich’s release.