Belarusian Christians Sue Minsk Police

Christian organizations in Minsk filed a lawsuit today against police in connection with the violent dispersal on November 22 of Christians gathered in the Belarusian capital's October Square, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports.

Activists from Minsk's Orthodox Christian, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches have been gathering on the square daily since the beginning of November to pray together for the release of political prisoners.

On November 22, police -- many of them in plainclothes -- forced some of the demonstrators to leave the square, using insulting and vulgar language.

Activist Yulia Fralova told RFE/RL that the police also threatened the Christians.Fralova said the protesters had filed a lawsuit with the Minsk city prosecutor and would send a copy to police chief Alyaksandr Barsukou.

"Copies of the lawsuit will also be sent to the leadership of Minsk's Orthodox and Catholic churches," Fralova said.

The believers listed in their lawsuit the names of the police officers who they allege insulted them.