Cooperation with regime not only immoral but also dangerous
- 10.02.2009, 7:44
“Arrest of Autukhovich, Lyavonau, and Asipenka is a spit in face of official Europe and a good demonstration of the so called liberalization,” Belarusian political prisoners say.
Former prisoners of conscience Alyaksandr Kazulin, Syarhei Parsyukevich, and Andrei Kim made a statement in the connection with re-arrest on far-fetched accusations against leaders of entrepreneurs, political prisoners of Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Lyavonau, and their colleague Uladzimir Asipenka.
STATEMENT
On February 8, 2009, officers of Almaz, a special group of the Ministry of Internal Affaires, detained former political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Lyavonau, released this summer due to pressure of the international community. The third victim of militia outrage was Uladzimir Asipenka, employee of the firm, where M. Autukhovich worked.
According to mass media, Almaz officers were especially rude. Unarmed people, former prisoners of conscience, were beaten brutally and guarded to a special detention facility in Minsk.
Charges against Lyavonau, Autukhovich, and Asipenka are absurd and don’t stand up to scrutiny. It was admitted even by the former militia officer, with arson of whose house the investigation tries to accuse the detainees. The authorities have likely decided to lay the responsibility for a blast in Minsk upon the opposition. This arrest is a spit in the face of official Europe and a good demonstration of the so called liberalization.
It should be noted that 14 young people, taken part in a rally of entrepreneurs, are still criminally prosecuted. Former political prisoners are still restricted in their civil rights, none of them has been rehabilitated. Life of US citizen Emanuel Zeltser, who is in hospital in a Belarusian prison, is under threat. In violation of all norms of the law, his lawyers can’t see the court judgement for six months to have a right to appeal against it. Village guys, who want to serve in army due to catastrophic material standing and unemployment in regions, are screened out by military enlistment offices. But opposition activist, who ruined health in prisons, are forcefully drafted for military service.
We see they were right. Cooperation with this regime is not only immoral but also dangerous. European business and official Brussels should remember that a game with a person without principles by his rules. Any person may become his next victim regardless of the colour of his or her passport.
We demand:
– To release of M. Autukhovich, Y. Lyavonau, and U. Asipenka immediately
– To give E. Zeltser to US justice
– To stop forceful fingerprinting on the national level
– That international experts examine civil activists, forcefully drafted into the Armed Forces of Belarus.
– To restore all political prisoners to their civil and property rights, cancel repressive sentences in the Case of 14.
We hope for solidarity of the US and European diplomacy in the connection with gross violations of mutual agreements by the Belarusian party.
We believe in God and our people.
Long live Belarus!
Former political prisoners
Alyaksandr Kazulin
Andrei Kim
Syarhei Parsyukevich