Belarusian opposition leader detained after returning from EaP summit

PanARMENIAN.Net - Belarusian opposition leader Anatoly Lebedko was held by the police on Saturday, October 1, after returning from the EU Eastern Partnership summit in Warsaw, RIA Novosti reported quoting a representative of his United Civil party.

“Unknown people in civilian clothes tried to grab Lebedko in the courtyard of his house, and take him away, but neighbors stopped them by blocking the exit and called the police,” the representative said.

He was then taken to the local police station in order to check his identity, the police said. They also said they were examining his passport, as his passport was taken from him after he was arrested in the demonstrations after the December presidential elections, and he appeared to have gone to Warsaw on an earlier passport which he claimed to have lost, and then subsequently found.

“Lebedko has been released by the police, who have promised to send him a summons,” the party representative said.

Warsaw hosted a two-day summit (September 29-30) on the Eastern Partnership, an initiative to bring the EU's eastern neighbors closer to the 27-nation bloc.