On April 26, in Minsk, law enforcement officers detained five activists of Ukrainian youth organizations who were participating in events organized by the Belarusian opposition dedicated to the 19th anniversary of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. Among those detained is the head of the all-Ukrainian public association "National Alliance," Ihor Huz. This was reported on April 27 during a session of the Volyn Regional Council by People's Deputy of Ukraine, Head of the Volyn Regional State Administration Volodymyr Bondar.

The Head of the Volyn Regional State Administration sent an official inquiry to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine requesting that the reasons for the detention be established and that assistance be provided in releasing the Ukrainian citizens.

As reported to the Western Information Corporation by the head of the Ivano-Frankivsk regional organization "National Alliance," Yurii Mindiuk, among those detained is a third-year student of the History Faculty at Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, future political scientist Andrii Hrymaliuk..

Members of the "National Alliance" were participants in the "Chornobyl Way" action. Participants in the action managed to reach the Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus and deliver a demand regarding Chornobyl policy.

Among those detained by the Belarusian militia at the Chornobyl action were activists of the Belarusian youth opposition organization "Young Front," as well as representatives of youth opposition organizations from Russia.

According to reports from the Belarusian service of "Radio Liberty," "the Ukrainians were treated with particular cruelty, beaten, and had their national flags taken away." The detained Ukrainians are reportedly being held at the Leninsky District Police Department of the Belarusian capital. A trial is supposed to take place tomorrow, and it is to be closed. The young men from Ukraine have been accused of allegedly having "illegally crossed the border and violated public order."

As reported by "OBKOM," Huz spoke at an unauthorized rally not far from the residence of the Belarusian president and was seized along with about a dozen other participants in the action.

On April 25 in Minsk, Huz signed an agreement on cooperation with the Belarusian opposition movement "Malady Front."

Ihor Huz stated to journalists: "If we are obstructed in Belarus, detained for 15 days, subjected to repressive measures, so much the better for us and the worse for the Belarusian authorities. This will cause additional resonance in Ukraine."

In addition to Mr. Huz, five more Ukrainian citizens were detained yesterday. All are members of the youth organization "National Alliance." Until the morning of April 27 they will be held at the police station, after which they, along with seven Russian citizens and about two dozen local activists, will be taken to court.

The Ukrainian embassy in Minsk reported that diplomatic mission staff were not given the opportunity to meet with the detainees, since the identities of the latter had allegedly not been fully established.

Today, around noon, in Kyiv near the Belarusian embassy, the first warning action by members of the "National Alliance" took place. As Yurii Mindiuk assured, in the event of further detention of their colleagues, such warning actions will also take place in Ivano-Frankivsk.

The all-Ukrainian youth public organization "National Alliance" has submitted an Appeal to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Borys Tarasiuk regarding the adoption of adequate measures for the earliest possible release of the Ukrainians and their unimpeded return to Ukraine."

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National Alliance activists led by Ihor Huz detained in Minsk