A statement by the press service of the State Security Committee (KGB) of Belarus, announced that on 21 February it HAS arrested four leaders of the Non Governmental Organisation (NG0) Citizens' Initiative Partnership (CIP).Based in Minsk, the Partnership was set up, managed and financed by the US National Democracy Institute. Belarusian law forbids the practice of financing national NGO's from abroad.
Radio Free Europe, reports that, "The Belarusian government outlawed the group two years ago. However, in its statement, the KGB claims that the CIP leaders continued to meet and were planning protests to coincide with the 19 March presidential election."
Nikolai Astreiko, Alexander Shalaiko, Timofei Dranchuk, and Enira Bronitskaya, were placed in a KGB detention center. According to Interfax-West, ITAR-TASS,the offence could carry a jail term of three to five years.
