Maxim Vinyarski stopped waterless hunger strike

The activist feels alright, and he is gradually finishing the hunger strike. Maxim Vinyarski, a coordinator of “European Belarus”, was on waterless hunger strike for 6 days, in order to make workers of the detention centre in Akrestsin Street to return his personal belongings to his relatives. Charter97.org was informed about that by an activist of “European Belarus” Yuliya Stsepanava.

“When their documents were processed in the detention centre in Akrestsin Street, the officer on duty asked to switch on his mobile phone, to check whether there were “anti-state” pictures there. When Maxim switched on the phone, it was snatched off his hands, and they refused to switch it off again. It is natural that officers of the detention centre had access to his contacts and social networks. As a result, Maxim went on waterless hunger strike, demanding to return his things to his family. Today the relatives managed to take the things from the detention centre, and Maxim stopped the hunger strike,” she said. “He feels alright, and he is going to finish the hunger strike gradually.”

We remind that the activist announced the waterless hunger strike protesting against the verdict, delivered by the court of Tsentralny district on Minsk. Judge Viktoryja Shabunya punished the activist by 15 days’ arrest for participation in commemoration of the Heavenly Hundred heroes near the monument of Taras Shevchenko.

On January 22 in the evening about 15 persons lit candles and laid flowers near the monument of Taras Shevchenko, not far from the Embassy of Ukraine. A big portrait of the Belarusian national killed in Ukraine, Mikhail Zhiznevsky, was unfurled. All participants were detained by riot policemen right after the rally and taken to the police department of Tsentralny district. Brutal force was used by the law-enforcers against some participants of the rally. On the next day 5 activists were sentenced to arrests, and Nina Bahinskaya to a fine.

Maxim Vinyarski was detained by policemen on numerous occasions before and during officially authorized rallies of democratic community, and served arrests. In April 2014 he was on a waterless hunger strike for a long time as well.