MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th February, 2021) A public rehearsal of a concert on Saturday evening near Minsk was suddenly interrupted by police arrival, with officers detaining 67 people, unregistered Belarusian human rights center Viasna said.
The concert was scheduled to take place later that night. Musicians and spectators gathered for a public rehearsal at the Ogonyok countryside retreat, located in the village of Sokol some 17 miles east from Minsk.
"As reported by Viasna rights defenders, a total of 67 people were detained at the concert," the center said on Sunday.
According to the news release, the police let go all minors, as well as four adults.
The exact number of people continuing to be in custody remains unclear, but the rights group specified the Names of at least 18 of them, including several musicians.
Bands that were expected to perform at the concert included Panska Moc, Ok-Band, Lear, and RSP (abbreviated from a Belarusian phrase roughly translating as "A lad's broken heart").
Police have not yet commented on the matter.
Busting small concerts has become a frequent occurrence in Belarus recently. Mass opposition protests, which began last August, gradually diminished in size and moved from city centers to small yards of residential areas. Sometimes, Belarusian musicians join these gatherings and perform for free as a sign of solidarity.
Mass protests began in Belarus after the presidential election on August 9, which, according to the official results, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won by a landslide, securing himself a sixth consecutive term in office. The opposition refused to recognize the results, claiming electoral fraud.
