Fifty protesters were arrested whilst taking part in anti-government demonstrations in central Baku on Saturday. The protests in Fountain Square attracted 200 members of the opposition Musavat party, but they were soon dispersed by the police. The detained protesters were taken away in police buses; some were released shortly afterwards. The interior ministry has claimed that the police had detained 50 citizens but released 30. This figure has been contested by Amnesty International, which claims that at least 100 opposition members were detained and protesters punched and kicked by officials.
Moroccan youth organised protests through YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, just like activists across the Arab world. But are their aims the same? Jillian C York reports (more…)
Belarusian dissident Vasily Parfenkov has been sentenced to four years of imprisonment following his hearing on Thursday. He was convicted of breaking the window of a parliamentary building during protests against President Lukashenko’s re-election on 19 December. He will also have to pay pay 14m roubles ($4,700) in compensation for damage to state property. Parfenkov is an active supporter of opposition candidate Vladimir Neklyayev.
A solidarity rally in support of Belarus’s political prisoners is being held at the Belarusian Embassy in London on Saturday 19 February.
