Freedom to Political Prisoners!
- 16.02.2009, 8:48
At 6.00 p.m. February 16 a rally of solidarity with arrested activists of the Belarusian opposition takes place on October square of Minsk.
Day of Belarusian Solidarity has been celebrated every 16th day of a month for three years. People in Minsk, Belarusian region, and abroad have been coming out to squares of their cities for more than three years to express their solidarity with families of kidnapped and repressed activists of the Belarusian opposition.
This time, former political prisoners issued a statement on holding rally on October square at 6.00 p.m. February 16 against political repressions organized by the Belarusian authorities.
Former political prisoners Alyaksandr Kazulin, Andrei Kim, Artur Finkevich, Vyachaslau Siuchyk, Zmitser Dashkevich, Zmitser Kaspyarovich, Katsyaryna Sadouskaya, Kanstantsin Lukashou, Mikalai Statkevich, Syarhei Parsyukevich, Syarhei Skrabets, Tsimafei Dranchuk, and Enira Branitskaya will go to October square to demand “immediate release of M. Autukhovich, Y. Lyavonau, and U. Asipenka; brining E. Zeltser to American justice; stopping of national-wide fingerprinting; medical review of activists, forcefully drafted into Armed Forces of Belarus, by international experts; restoration of civil and property rights to all political prisoners and cancel of repressive sentences in the Case of 14.”
“Accusations to Lyavonau, Autukhovich, and Asipenka are absurd and are beneath criticism,” the statement of the former political prisoners says. “It is admitted even by a former militiaman, arson of whose house the investigation is trying to charge them with. It seems that the authorities have decided to blame the opposition for the blast in Minsk. This arrest is a spit in the face of official Europe and a demonstration of the so called liberalization.”
The prisoners of conscience are going to turn attention of Europe to the ongoing repressions against the opposition and the democratic youth in the frames of “liberalization”.
“Cooperation with this regime is not only amoral, but also dangerous,” the statement says. “European business and official Brussels should remember that a game with a person without principles is played according to his rules. Anyone can become the next victim, regardless of the colour of a passport.”
It should be reminded that on February 8 Almaz special militia force and militiamen of the operational group on organized crime arrested leaders of entrepreneurs Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka. After searches in their apartments, entrepreneurs were taken to Minsk to Akrestsin Street detention centre. They are charged with arson of a militiaman’s house 5 years ago.
Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Lyavonau are former political prisoners sentenced to imprisonment for far-fetched accusation for defense of rights of entrepreneurs. In the beginning of 2008 the measure of restraint was changed for him for restriction of freedom.
The rally is also held in solidarity with the opposition figures, serving punishment in Belarus. For participation in protest rallies of entrepreneurs opposition activists Artsyom Dubski, Alyaksei Bondar, Mikhail Kryvau, Mikhail Pashkevich, Alyaksandr Straltsou, Alyaksandr Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tsishkevich, Mikhail Subach, and Paval Vinahradau were sentenced to 2 years of restraint of liberty without sending them to special penal facilities. Minor Maksim Dashuk got 1.5 years of restraint of liberty. In December 2008, activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” was sentenced to 1 year of restraint of liberty for the same rally.
On February 13, convicted for rallies of entrepreneurs Artsyom Dubski was detained again when returning to Belarus from Ukraine. He was charged with violation of the rules of serving punishment. Now the oppositionist is a detention facility in his native town Asipovichy.