On Friday, about 15 people gathered at the Belarusian embassy in Riga for a peaceful protest demanding the release of Ilya Saleya, an opposition lawyer detained in a neighboring country, LETA observed. The participants held posters in the colors of the Belarusian flag with the inscriptions “Free Belarus, free Ilya Sale”, “Release Ilya Sale” and “Release people, release Ilya Sale”, but a woman had come to the protest with a reproduction of a painting of the Mother of God. “Glory to the Heroes”. Shortly before the picket began, two State Police cars arrived at the embassy, but the picket was monitored by about eight police officers. Later, a Riga municipal police minibus also arrived. As one of the organizers of the protest, Saleja’s friend, lawyer Richard Freidenfelds, informed LETA, Latvian friends, acquaintances and colleagues of the detained lawyer came to the picket to show his support.
–
