Reports are reaching Index on Censorship that the office of Charter 97, the Belarusian democracy campaigning organisation, has been raided by authorities. Computers and other equipment have been seized and Head of Press Natalia Radzina is believed to have been beaten.

Meanwhile the home of Andrey Sannikov (International Coordinator of Charter’97, who has announced his intention to run for president of Belarus this year) and his wife, journalist Irina Khalip, was searched for three hours by police.

Charter 97 has been nominated for the 2010 Index on Censorship/Bindmans Law and Campaigning Award.

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