'Belarus Is At Front Line Of Fighting Dictatorship, Tyranny'

• 22.05.2023, 7:35

The Belarusians living in Warsaw have demanded to release political prisoners.

On May 21, Belarusians in Warsaw held a rally in support of political prisoners. Hundreds of people gathered on Constitution Square near the Belarusian Youth Hub.

Famous English playwright Sir Tom Stoppard expressed his support to Belarusians and Belarusian political prisoners. His appeal, which he sent especially for those gathered at the rally in the centre of Warsaw, was read by the leader of the European Belarus civil campaign, Andrei Sannikov:

- These are bad times for the democratic right to dissent, and it becomes more and more important to remember political prisoners. The thousands in prison in Belarus today are the living proof that Belarus is in the front line of the fight against dictatorship and tyranny. We stand up for them as we stand up for ourselves.

Chief editor of the Polish newspaper of Gazeta Wyborcza Adam Michnik, Polish Ambassador to Belarus Artur Michalski and other Polish and Belarusian politicians and human rights activists also addressed the gathering.

The protesters urged the West to strengthen sanctions against Lukashenka's regime.

Then Belarusians in Warsaw marched along the streets of the Polish capital towards the Old Town, where they lined up in a chain of solidarity with political prisoners on Copernicus Square.