Belarús - Police raid and arrests at the Free Metalworkers’ Union

In the afternoon of Thursday 24 February 2022, unknown persons in civilian clothes broke into the office of the Free Metalworkers’ Union (SPM) without presenting documents, searched the office, and seized office equipment and mobile phones from the office management and employees. The SPM deputy chairman, Aleksandr Evdokimchik, was arrested and taken away to an undisclosed location. Earlier in the morning, the executive committee of BKDP, the national trade union centre and ITUC affiliate, could not get in touch with Igor Komlik, the lawyer of the trade union. It is reasonable to suppose that he was also arrested by law enforcement agencies. The Belarusian government is consistently increasing pressure on independent trade unions, carrying out repression and reprisals against the union leaders, activists and members.