This Mazda has flashed like a tourch in the dark
when the security of the embassy ran up
the rear window of the car was broken and the saloon was on fire.
The attack on the Russian embassy in Minsk
in the night two bottles with Molotov-cocktails
were thrown on its territory.
Russian Ministry of the Interior is outraged about
the attack on the Russian embassy in Belarus...
Thugs are wanted in Minsk that threw bottles
with flame liquid on the Russian embassy territory..
no casualties observed, a car parked in the yard
of the embassy has burnt out.
This night unidentified persons
set fire to the Russian embassy in Minsk...
In the night of 31st August 2010 two unidentified persons
attacked the Russian embassy in Minsk with Molotov-cocktails.
One of the bottles struck a car parked
on the territory of the embassy,
as a result the interior of the car completely burnt out.
The operational investigative group found
a glass bottle with the rest of the flame liquid
as well the fragments of another bottle with a fuse.
As far as I know, the surveillance cameras
around the embassy were working
and this information has already been passed
to the investigating authorities.
Official Moscow and Minsk have immediately exchanged
the outraged statements.
The statement says that Russian Ministry of the Interior
considers the incident as a revolting act,
an attempt of blocking the work of the embassy.
Moreover, the Russian side demanded
a speedy and thorough investigation
and retrieval of the actual perpetrators
of the crime as well as the head for crime.
Belarusian Ministry of the Interior was fast to respond.
We took the information about
the incident at the Belarusian embassy
with preoccupation and indignation.
This is a criminalruffian-like act,
directed against good relations between Russia and Belarus.
We believe that the malfactors will suffer
a fair and severe punishment.
Russian politicians also commented on the topic.
This is for sure not an everyday but a political hooliganism
and of course it is a most serious signal
to the Belarusian authorities,
they have to think it over, they have to think
about what influence can exert harsh
and unbalanced statements of the top-rank leaders.
I view it as vandalism, but I don't want it to have consequences,
because without fortification of economic, cultural,
social, personal relations with Belarus and the Ukraine
Russia doesn't have historical perspectives.
An attempt to set fire to our embassy,
to inflict losses is the beginning of Lukashenko's election campaign.
Maybe this hadn't been planned by him personally,
but by someone from his election campaign team,
they decided to completely spoil relations with Russia.
Lukashenko, who, actually, had his birthday on the very day,
commented on the attack only on 2nd September,
calling hard names.
Who needed this?
Did we need this after a succession of all
this propagandistic films and campaigns?
Not at all!
This would do only harm to Belarusian president.
And to say that we knew about it – they are just idiots and scum.
I underline once more using the F-words – idiots and scum!
To say that we knew and never prevented it from happening,
because WE needed it.
But these accusations of Kremlin  messengers
means that we must seriously see into this.
One attack, another attack, another one in the mass media,
unprecedented pressure in economy – still they can't manage it.
They wanted to bend Belarusian president – it comes out vice versa.
They have to make out other methods.
This is an interesting version and we will work it over.
Rather it was them who needed it  to show
that Lukashenko himself organises the terrorist attack,
as they call it,
and sets fire to the car of the Russian embassy.
Scum and bastards – I can't say anything else.
It's a bad idea to demonstrate the readiness
of the political circles to further confrontation.
All interstate accusations should remain
tet-a-tet during the negotiations.
Why is Lukashenko so upset about his former
alies and what attacks does he mean?
he means a media war between official Minsk and Moscow
when a film of 4 parts was shown on Russian television,
which depicted Lukashenko as an authoritarian leader
and a populist who takes advantage of Russia.
It was unexpected literally for everyone,
when after a two-day pause,
while the diplomatic scandal had run high,
a previously unknown anarchist group 'Friends of Freedom'
claimed responsibility for the attack.
The statement posted on Belarusian Indymedia says
that this is a solidarity action with the arrested Russian activists
Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov,
who had been detained after a sensational action
at Khimki city hall against the deforestation in Khimki.
later the statement is removed from Indymedia by the moderators
referring to the unreliability of the information,
the official web-page campaigning for the Khimki arrestees writes
that such solidarity actions are not welcome.
Belarusian political analysts and even some anarchists have doubts
about the anarchists complicity to the incident.
The Russian embassy is surrounded with surveillance cameras,
there is a police station in the area.
I think that in connection with the sharpening
of relations between Belarus and Russia
the embassy is watched by other competent bodies.
And the appearance of some people who
throw bottles into the embassy and get away with
it shows the absolute helplessness of Belarusian secret service.
Stas Poczobut: That could be anarchists,
but I have never heard of such an organization
as 'Friends of Freedom'.
On the other hand, it could be a provocative act as well.
this is a political action,
and no thugs, like anarchists or other formations, would do it,
because one should have courage, privacy to do it and of course
you have to get away unseen from the scene of action.
In the meantime, on 3rd September searches
are conducted in 5 flats simultaneously,
7 people are detained as suspects
for the attack on the Russian embassy.
Today the detention period will be prolonged
and they will be thoroughly checked for possible
involvement into similar actions
that were observed on the territory of Belarus before.
As a matter of fact, this is not the first anarchist action of the kind,
and this allows to re-detain the activists
each time on the new ground.
Antimilitarist march in september 2009
against conjoint exercises of Russian and Belarussian military forces.
Attack on the Casino "Shangri-La"
as a protest against opening Russian casinos in
Belarus after they have been prohibited in Russia.
Attack on the police department at the days of actions
against lawlessness of police in Belarus.
Attack on the House of Labour Unions at May 1
as a protest against falseness
of Labour Union Federation of Belarus,
that only prevents self-organisation and strikes.
Arson of Belarusbank at May 1 as a protest
against the finansial sistem existing now.
On 6th September the detention facility
where all the detainees are kept
is attacked with Molotov-cocktails.
In the statement distributed on the Internet
the group “Friends of Freedom”
demands freedom for all the detained,
and claims responsibility for all the episodes.
The police negates the attack
but at the same time initiate an investigation.
After 9 days of detention 5 out of  7 detainees
are set free without any accusations.
On 20th September one of the two guys remaining in custody,
Aliaksandr Frantskevich, is accused
of launching the attack on a police station in Soligorsk.
The guy admits that he had filmed the event.
Aliaksandr's mother: All this uncertainty, sleepless nights  -
it's horrible.
They participated in Food Not Bombs actions,
they visited orphan asylums and helped some disabled children.
They are just active citizens and I think
no one would ever take part in such radical actions.
Another detainee, Mikalai Dziadok, is being re-detained for 7 times,
each time as a suspect for a new anarchists' criminal case.
12-15th September he is detained
on suspicion of embezzlement of $500 in February 2010
and despite the fact that all the necessary documents proving
that Mikalai was at that time abroad
and thus couldn’t commit the crime,
he remained in the detention facility.
It becomes clear that the authorities just spin out time
to accuse Mikalai of anything possible.
During his stay in the detention facility several witnesses are found
who agree to witness against him under KGB pressure.
Two of them later backtrack their words, but two more are left,
who are now the main proof of his guilt.
On 1st October Mikalai is accused
of organizing the anti-militarist action.
Mikalai denies his guilt.
On the whole, in September and October of 2010 searches
were conducted in several Belarusian towns,
more that 50 people were interrogated,
17 activists were detained for 3 to 9 days.
It starts to be scary, because tomorrow it can be me,
the day after tomorrow – my friend,
the next day – my neighbour...
Solidarity actions with Belarusian activists were organized
more than 40 cities in Belarus, Russia and Europe.
The most sensational action was carried out in Belarus
when KGB headquarters in Babrujsk were attacked.
Now a journalist of a newspaper ‘Babrujski courier’ Jauhen Vasilevich
is accused of participation in the action.
