The Russian LGBT Network reports that a number of arrests have been made after police in riot gear raided gay clubs in Minsk last week.
Some clubgoers were reportedly detained were forced to produce their passports, which were copied by police.
“The gloomy news from Belarus: the activists of the Minsk LGBT organisations reported on the detention in the gay clubs "Burlesque" and "Casta Diva" on the night of October 20-21,” the Russian LGBT Network writes.
“Riot policemen rewrote party attendees data, some visitors were detained. The reasons for the detentions are not known. It is also reported that a popular dating site for guys was not available to users from Belarus.
“There were 11 people from the OMON [a special unit of the federal police] and several people in civilian clothes. They asked to show their passports and copied data from them. One of them was taken from the club says an eyewitness.”
“We hope that all detainees will be released and we call on the LGBT community of Belarus not to panic.”
US-based organisation Human Rights First (HRF) has denounced the raids and called on the United States government to stand up against the targeting of Belarus’ LGBT+ community.
"It is alarming that police targeted legal businesses, violated the privacy of their patrons, demanded personal information, and dragged some away to detention.
“This appears to be the latest example of increased persecution of LGBT communities in the region—following egregious cases in Chechnya, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan.
"The US government should raise these issues with their Belarusian counterparts and make it clear that the United States will not stand by while already-marginalised communities are targeted and attacked.”
While homosexuality was decriminalised in Belarus in 1994, the LGBT+ community lacks anti-discrimination and legal protection.
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