Belarus protests yet another death of a young man beaten by the police
A spontaneous rally in memory of Roman Bondarenko, who died from injuries received at the police station, has been going on since last night in Minsk. This is the fifth death of a protester in Belarus. Demonstrations have continued for more than two months, with protesters demanding the resignation of President Lukashenko. The authorities are tightening their crackdown on protesters.
31-year-old artist Roman Bondarenko died yesterday in the intensive care unit of the Minsk emergency hospital.
Euroradio reports that Roman Bandarenka was detained on the night of November 11. He went out into his yard when unknown persons wearing masks arrived there and began to cut off white and red ribbons – a symbol of the protest.
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One of the newcomers attacked the young man and knocked him to the ground. Then he was thrown into a minibus and taken to the police station. From there, the victim was transferred to the hospital in a coma. Roman underwent trepanation of the skull, but doctors could not save his life.
Minsk police later announced that it was ‘concerned citizens’ who had come to the courtyard on the Square of Changes.
Thousands of Belarusians came to the Square of Changes to honour the memory of Roman Bondarenko.
This is not the first death amidst protests in Belarus – until now, at least four other people have died as a result of violence from the authorities.
Protests in Belarus have been going on since August 19, when Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for 26 years, announced his victory in the presidential elections.
