6 Held in Minsk Torching

Sep. 7, 2010

Belarussian police have detained at least six suspects in connection with a firebomb attack on the Russian Embassy in Minsk last week, Interfax reported Monday.

A police spokesman said the arrest occurred Friday but refused to identify the suspects.

A local grassroots activism web site, Belarus.indymedia.org, said seven people were detained and identified them as Igor Bogachek, Sergei Slyusar, Nikolai Dedok, Valeria Khotina, Alexander Franzkevich, Alexei Zhingerovsky and Anton Laptsyonak.

The attack took place on Aug. 30. No one was injured, but a car owned by the embassy was destroyed.

A statement published earlier by Belarus.indymedia.org said the bombing was organized by anarchists who protested a Russian crackdown on environmental activists campaigning against the partial destruction of the Khimki forest.

(MT)

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