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Police arrest six anarchist activists over firebomb attack on Russian embassy

Belarusian police have arrested six anarchist activists on suspicion of involvement in Monday’s fire-bomb attack on the Russian embassy in Minsk, BelaPAN reports.

Ihar Bahachak, Valery Khotsin, Syarhey Slyusar, Mikalay Dzyadok, Alyaksey Zhynhyarowski and Alyaksandr Frantskevich were arrested in a police raid on an apartment in Minsk at about 6 a.m. on September 3, reported the news site belarus.indymedia.org.

The police searched the apartment and seized five computers, two laptops, mobile phones, cash, posters and magazines, according to the site.

The six young men were taken to the interior ministry’s organized crime prevention department for interrogation and then placed in the detention center on Akrestsina Street.

The indymedia site described the arrested men as “civil society activists who participate in various social campaigns aimed at the protection of human rights and free access to information.”

Belarus’ law-enforcement agencies have released no official information on the arrest.

Under regulations, a person may be detained without being charged for 72 hours. A prosecutor has the right to extend the detention to 10 days.