The number of arrested demonstrators, who are kept in prisons in both Minsk and the countryside, is not clear at the moment. The number heard from different sources varies, but a qualified guess is around 5 hundred. The first opposition members were arrested on Friday night, when the police marched into October Squres and broke down the tent camp. The second arrest raid was on Saturday the 25th of March. The police injured thousands of people and arrested hundreds of demonstrators.

Monday the 27th of March is the day of trial for most of the arrested demonstrators. They have been awaiting their trials in prison. Among the arrested is former head of Belarusian State University and presidential candidate Alexander Kozulin, the Russian “First Channel” journalist Pavel Sheremet and from Sunday also one of the coordinators of Charter 97 web newsservice.

The single presidential candidate of the United Democratic Forces of Belarus, Alexander Milinkevich, is calling for new demonstrations. “The opposition is not going to wait 5 more years in the shadow, before bringing democracy to Belarus.” Milinkevich announced as he also spoke in solidarity with the arrested demonstrators.