Belarus launches new crackdown on activists, journalists

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — The authorities in Belarus have conducted a new wave of searches and arrests of union activists and independent journalists. At least 16 people have been arrested in Minsk, Grodno, Borisov and other Belarusian cities, according to the Viasna human rights center. Alexander Yaroshuk, the president of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions and another top union leader, Alexander Bukhvostov, were among those arrested. The accusations against them haven’t been made public. Belarusian authorities have declared several unions as “extremist” organizations shortly before the arrests. The Belarusian Association of Journalists said that Aksana Kolb, the editor of the independent Novy Chas newspaper, was also detained on Wednesday.