Christmas letters to Belarusian political prisoners (Photo)

• 26.12.2007, 12:47

Activists of the youth organisation “Initiative” gathered and sent more than 1500 Christmas letters to Belarusian political prisoners.

Some members of the youth organisation “Initiative” came to the Main Post Office in red Santa Claus hats. One of them carried a big bag with letters of support of Belarusians political prisoners. At the post box near the entrance to the post office, they loosed the bag and threw letters into the box. The letters were addressed to prisons, where Zmiter Dashkevich, Alyaksandr Kazulin, Andrei Klimau and Artur Finkevich are kept, Radio Svaboda reports.

“The campaign lasted for 2 weeks: we were collecting congratulations on special post cards. Now we can say that we have collected about 1200 congratulations. There is the biggest part of the letter in this bag, we’ll throw them to the box and send them to the political prisoners. Every of them will receive many congratulations on Christmas,” one of the action participants, who introduced himself as Andrei, said.

At the same time when the action in Minsk was taking place, activists of the organisation, who are in Moscow now, sent more than 150 letters to Belarusian prisons. The similar actions were held in Babruisk and Polatsk.

Many people sent their congratulations and words of support to the political prisoners. Maxim, one of them, is saying:

“Different people took part in our action and wrote congratulations – from chavs from Frunzenski or Leninski districts to the head of the mission of the International Labour Organisation, who has come to us. Alyaksandr Milinkevich and Ina Kulei also signed, as well as many other politicians.”

Activists of “Initiative” said to Radio Svaboda they continue to organise actions of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners and their families. All unregistered youth organisations are going to hold actions in January calling to release political prisoners. It is planned to hold them almost every day.