Belarus Updates: Agents Provocateurs?
Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at 11:20
Scott Lucas in Ales Levchuk, Belarus Free Theatre, EA Global, Europe and Russia, Nikolai Khalezin, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Tatiana Yelavaya, Znamya Yunosti

1445 GMT: The state security service KGB has issued a warrant for Belarus Free Theatre co-founder Nikolai Khalezin. 

The Belarus Free Theatre is a prominent challenger to the Lukaskenko regime. On 5 December, Index on Censorship hosted a double-bill performance by the Free Theatre at London's Young Vic with guest appearances from Sir Ian McKellen, Jude Law, Siena Miller, Samuel West, and Adjoa Andoh. There is speculation that the arrest of Khalezin is an attempt by the authorities to stop a forthcoming performance in New York.

Before founding the Belarus Free Theatre with his wife, Khalezin was a renowned journalist. who was dismissed  by various newspapers for criticism of President Lukashenko.

1410 GMT: The human rights organisation Vyasna publishes the latest known status of 700 detainees from Sunday's post-election protests.

1340 GMT: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty profiles blogger Tatiana Yelavaya and other activists who claimed that the assault on Election Day (19 December) on the building housing the Parliament, Government, and election commission was planned by government forces and carried out by provocateurs.

The activists are searching through photo and video footage to identify those carried out the violence and to prove that they were colluding with official security forces. They then plan to submit a dossier to court. 

Ales Levchuk, correspondent for the state-run youth paper Znamya Yunostihas allegedly been fired for refusing orders to write an upbeat piece on the Presidential election.

Article originally appeared on EA WorldView (http://www.enduringamerica.com/).
See website for complete article licensing information.